Do you recognize the phrase ‘The temple of the Spirit’?
You can find it in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians where he says:
‘do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?’ (1Corinthians 6: 19)
I found myself thinking about this when I returned home from the Emergency department of our local hospital. Six weeks ago I had an asthma attack that did not respond to my inhaler. Hence my presence, albeit only for a morning, in the emergency department – and the subsequent absence of any blogs due to lack of energy. I had thought that I was quite good at listening to my body but on this occasion…
Our bodies are precious to us and to God, for the Holy Spirit lives in our bodies.
During the lockdowns our self-care improved. More by accident than design, because our lives were different, we became good at looking after our bodies. We walked and exercised to videos… and walked some more. Walking enabled reflection which helped our mental and emotional health as well as the physical. It even helped our spiritual health! Reflecting on my inner self reveals how I feel about myself and the life I lead. It offers the chance to recognize how much or how little I know myself. St. Teresa of Avila called the inner self a castle and challenged us to consider how many rooms we use. Is my life restricted to one or two rooms?
Today many people no longer have time to walk. A recent article pointed out that many dogs, bought during lockdowns, are now suffering because their owners do not have time for them. But it’s not just the dogs that suffer: if you are no longer walking, when and where do you do your reflecting? Are you listening to your body? When and where are you listening to your inner self?
Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you. The Spirit within is the source of abundant life – life lived to the full. It is the Spirit who sustains you, gets you through the tough times. Is your body the Temple of the Spirit?