The struggle to love our God-given bodies is not unique to our time and culture. In fact, body shame can be seen in the very first chapters of Genesis.
When the first humans choose to eat the apple in the garden, we read, that their hope is to learn the difference between good and evil. But the very first things that Adam and Eve see as evil are their own bodies. They discover that they are naked–and they are ashamed. Body shame has come into the garden.
We have been created, named, and claimed by a God who sees us as inherently good. Somewhere along the line, we forgot that. We left the garden and we stepped out into the world afraid of our bodies. Yet God still sees us as good. When we claim this truth, that our bodies are good gifts from a loving Creator, we take a step back to the garden, a step forward to God’s kingdom.
This message is excerpted from “Genesis and loving our bodies” by Amanda Zentz-Alo from the May 2, 2016, Cafe online magazine faith reflection. Today we commemorate Nicolaus Copernius, 1543; Leonhard Euler, 1783; scientists.
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