Time to Remember the Month of September

A couple of days ago I looked at the list of my posts on this blog, and I was amazed to see that I haven't posted anything since September 2. So it's about time for an update.

My sister-in-law came for a visit, beginning on Wednesday, September 3. My brother met her at the airport and drove her out here. As it happened, Donald Teeters, a fairly well-known conductor in this area, had recently died, and his funeral was that evening. He had taught her conducting when she was at New England Conservatory, and had visited her school and was a guest in her home one time when he visited Japan. So she wanted to go to the funeral. I brought her to the subway and helped her figure out how to get to her destination. One of her classmates, who lives in eastern Massachusetts, played the organ at the funeral, and gave her a ride home. I still hadn't had my dinner when she got back, so I  shared with her. The gala welcoming dinner of steak was postponed, as was the plan, to Thursday evening.

On Friday, she wanted to visit her organ teacher from the conservatory. The teacher now lives in an assisted living facility about a 50 minute drive from here. I was tied up when she needed to go, so my brother drove her there. About 2 ½ hours later, I went to bring her back. I took a route back home through an area which has very little traffic — country roads through the woods. But along the way there was an ice cream stand, and we each had some, which was refreshing, since the day was hot. That evening it was time for the gala farewell dinner — boiled lobster, steamed mussels, corn on the cob, sponge cake with fruit and whipped cream.

On Saturday morning I brought her to South Station in Boston so she could take the express train to New York where she spent several days visiting my nephew. He and his girlfriend have moved in together, and one feature of the visit was my sister meeting the girlfriend's mother. I understand they got along well. In the olden days, the next step would be for the kids to get married. I hope they will, but nobody's said anything about. Somebody's got to transmit those Naturgesetz family genes to the next generation.


The next big event was my "annual" check-up with my primary care physician on the 11th. He couldn't find anything wrong, except for a bit of ringworm near my right nipple — Gold Bond powder should eventually clear it up. He conducts the exam very conversationally, and of course, I like the chance to be naked with someone pleasant like him. I don't remember other doctors checking for testicular cancer, but he does, and I was surprised at how gently he felt my testicles on both visits — my previous doctor retired and this was my second time with this doctor.


My last Race Committee assignment was on Saturday the 13th. It was a fairly windy day with choppy seas. We had a problem with the mechanical winch which hauls up the anchor. Fortunately, we discovered it early in the day, and by the time we needed to haul up the anchor, the boy who drives the boat and shoots the signal cannons had figured out how to get it working.


The following Thursday, the concert season began for me with the opening night of the Boston Symphony, followed on Friday with a concert by the Boston Artists Ensemble at Salem's historic Hamilton Hall. If you follow the link and then go to "Community" and then to "Lectures" you can read about a series that my mother used to attend for many years. I'm happy to know that they still serve bouillon.


I was invited to dinner with friends on Saturday and then there were two events on Sunday afternoon. First was the funeral of a long-time sailor and member of the yacht club — also an avid and accomplished skier. After the service, the family had a reception at the yacht club. Coincidentally, when I was at the Hamilton Hall website just now, the widow was in the picture at the top of the "Community" page. She's the one on the right. Before that reception was over, I had to go to the other end of the club building to join an "Octoberfest" for the race Committee. Many years ago, I used to bring German Oktoberfest beer and German style cold cuts out to the Race Committee boat for the last event, which fell within Oktoberfest in the old country. Circumstances changed, and it didn't work anymore, but people kept asking for me to revive it. Finally this year, club management put on an event ashore, with advice from me as to what it should include (roast chicken, bratwurst, weisswurst, sauerkraut, potato salad, and Oktoberfest beer from Munich). So it was actually more like the real thing than what I could do on a boat.


The rest of the month was fairly routine. There is a thirty year old guy I've known for a dozen or more years. Last winter he was hospitalized for depression, and now he's moved back to his parents' home. I know he's interested in music, so I thought it might be helpful for him too get out to some of the concerts I go to, so I've given him a list of everything I have planned over the season (basically through April) and said if there are any he'd like to go to, just let me know. We'll see if anything ever comes of it. He mentioned, when I gave him the list, that he especially likes baroque music, which is largely lacking in the concerts I attend. I'll have to keep alert for possibilities from Boston Baroque and the Boston Early Music Festival.

A Visit from Mark and Other Recent Things

     My friend Mark managed to get a few days off work and came for a visit. His bus arrived on Monday at 1:35 p.m., and departure was on Wednesday evening at 7:40.

     I met him at South Station in Boston, and we had lunch at a bar I'm the station — my first cuban sandwich ever. It was good, but I probably won't be having one every month.He had a vegetarian sandwich which he liked. When we got to my place, I checked the internet for a while. Eventually we got undressed and watched the Red Sox game on TV. Then Mark felt a little cold and "dressed for dinner." Dinner included pork cutlets, marsala style. Mark was tired, having had to get up early for the bus from Syracuse, and went to bed. I stayed up for several hours at my computer.

     The previous week, my Race Committee duties had taken me past Hammond Castle, which I had never visited despite having known of it for over 60 years. It occurred to me that Mark might like to go there too. Also on Cape Ann is a smaller building, Beauport, the Sleeper-McCann House. It's near the retreat house on Eastern Point, Gloucester, where I've gone a couple of times; and I noticed it when I was walking around in the neighborhood. I'd wanted to see it sometime. Mark hadn't seen either place when he was working in Massachusetts and was interested in seeing them. We toured the castle on our own and found it quite impressive. At Beauport we arrived just in time to join a guided tour which was beginning. Although each room was in an early American style, each had a distinctive theme, and the explanations of the tour guide made it more interesting. Afterwards, we agreed that Beauport had been a little more interesting than Hammond Castle, although both are worth seeing.

     For lunch, we headed over to Essex for fried clams at Woodman's, the best known fried clam place in Massachusetts (and perhaps worldwide). They were founded in 1914, and they say their founder invented fried clams in 1916. The clams were quite good, but we were both surprised at the prices — although I must admit I haven't bought fried clams in ages, so I don't know how other places' prices compare. Neither of us had been to Woodman's before. So the whole excursion was a time of firsts for us both.

     Back at home, we got out of our clothes. I showed Mark some music videos I like. Later we settled in front of the TV for the Red Sox game. After the game, Mark felt a bit cold, so he got dressed. He expressed an interest in having some pasta with alfredo sauce, so I cooked some tricolor rotini and boiled some peas and combined them with some alfredo sauce. I also had some leftover london broil steak which I reheated for us.

     On Wednesday, there was another first for both of us: the New England Aquarium. There was a lot to be seen, but with limited time, we did not linger and read all the captions at each of the dozen or more varied habitat displays. The big tank was not as large as I had expected. Our overall conclusion was that it was good but somewhat of a disappointment. Nevertheless, I wouldn't mind going back and spending more time at the small exhibits.

     Then we strolled around for a while and went to the nearby Legal Sea Foods for dinner. Mine was a shrimp, garlic, tomato, and mushroom combination which was large enough to be my dinner on Friday as well. We had left Mark's luggage (backpack and small bag) in my car at the subway station garage. So we had to go back and get them. I went back into Boston with Mark to be sure he would find the way to South Station. Once he was sure of the way, I headed home.

     Mark brought some zucchini bread which he had made, and we both enjoyed it from time to time. I had the last of it after he was gone. It was good by itself, and also with butter and cream cheese.

     It was a very nice visit. In addition to what I've mentioned, we had good conversations about current events and issues as well as about our own doings. If the weather had been warmer and more humid, Mark might have been naked a bit more, but it's not very important. I certainly don't want to pressure him or anybody to be naked, but I think it's nice that we're comfortable enough being naked and being around each other that we're able to indulge our mutual enjoyment of nudity when we feel like it.


     On Friday, I had Race Committee duty. Instead of being on the large "signal boat," I was assigned to duty on one of the mark boats, a 17 foot inflatable "rib craft." It bounced a lot on the waves and required more holding on to something to avoid falling down or being thrown overboard. Today my shoulders and knees are a little sore. I hope it hasn't hastened the approach of arthritis in my knees, which seems to run in my mother's family.

     Last evening I finished Writing on the Wall, by Tom Standage. It was a Christmas gift from my brother in Japan. Standage sees the internet as similar to earlier forms of communication and interaction such as the circular letters of ancient times, pamphlets, and coffeehouses. He contrasts those forms of two-way communication with the one-way forms such as newspapers, radio, and TV, and thinks the two-way forms are better.

Recent Doings

New Doctor: Getting Acquainted & Physical Exam.
My "primary care physician" of the past 20 or so years retired last fall. He had been in partnership with another doctor, whom I decided to try before searching for anyone else. My first appointment with the new doc was on April 15. The nurse took my blood pressure etc. and then told me take of all my clothes and put on a johnny and left the examining room. Eventually the doctor came in, asked some questions and began the physical exam. He had me lower the johnny to my waist while he listened with the stethoscope, then to my groin to check for hernias, then to my thighs while he checked for testicular cancer. I was surprised at how light his touch was; I'd have thought that more pressure would have been needed to detect anything. He brought the johnny back to cover my genitals. Then there was some discussion during which I put my arms back into the sleeves and brought it back to my shoulders. Finally, there was the check of my prostate, which he did by having me lie on my side on the examining table. I somehow didn't feel it as much as when it's done with feet on the floor and bending over the table.

We talked about colonoscopies, Vitamin D supplements, and pneumonia vaccine. He was pretty clear that I needed the Vitamin D, and gave good reasons for the others. What I really liked was that he didn't  order me to do things. The way he put things recognized that I'm the one in charge of my health care decisions. So I'm quite satisfied with him.

I had been procrastinating on the pneumonia vaccine and decided to have the shot while I was there. The nurse administered it after he was through and I had put my clothes back on. My upper arm was sore until Friday.

I noticed that he had a faint Irish accent. Turns out he's from Dublin, but has been here so long that it's very faint except when he's with other Irish people or has had a few beers.


Play at Arts Emerson: Trojan Women.
On Wednesday, April 17, I went to Boston to see an adaptation of the play by Euripides. There's a pretty good summary in the Globe's review. I liked it better than "Neva," which I had seen a couple of weeks earlier. This play not only evoked some of the horror of war, but also showed the complexity of the chain of causation: was the fall of Troy the fault of Priam and Hecuba for allowing Helen to remain, rather than giving her back to Menelaus; Helen, for leaving Menelaus and going to Troy with Paris; Paris for seducing Helen; Aphrodite, for promising Helen to Paris if he declared her the most beautiful; Zeus for selecting Paris to judge among the goddesses; Priam and Hecuba for letting Paris live after it had been prophesied that he would bring about the destruction of Troy.

On the way back to the subway, I encountered a couple who wanted directions back to their hotel. With the help of a nearby map I was able to furnish the directions they needed.

Although it was the day after the Marathon bombing, things seemed normal on the subway and in the Theater District.


Symphony Concert.
Thursday evening, I attended the Boston Symphony's concert. Apart from not stopping at the Copley station the subways ran normally. At Symphony Hall, all bags were examined, but then the eveninig went as normal. (The following night's performance was cancelled because of the manhunt and the 'shelter in place' advisory.)

I posted about the concert on my music blog.

It seems to me that the actions of all of us who went to the theater or the symphony or were otherwise out and about on Wednesday and Thursday illustrate what President Obama said on Thursday at the service at Holy Cross Cathedral: "We don't cower in fear. We carry on."


A Movie and Dinner.
On Friday evening I went with a priest who had formerly been in my parish to see the movie "Quartet." It was quite enjoyable. Afterwards we went to The Black Cow restaurant for dinner. I had been there a couple of times before, but it had been renovated in the meantime. The interior had been opened up, and it seemed significantly noisier, with more patrons, largely of a younger age. No doubt it's a business success, but it was a personal disappointment to have lost the ambience of former times. Well, I still have good memories of dining there before the renovations.

Seth the Waiter.
On Tuesday evening this week there was a concert and social evening at the Harvard Musical Association. As usual on such evenings, I went to the Scollay Square restaurant, and was pleasantly surprised to see Seth there. He was equally surprised to see me, since the HMA events are almost all on Fridays: this was the first Tuesday that I can recall. He had been working Mondays and Saturdays, but now, as he told me, he's working Tuesdays as well.  We greeted each other warmly. Then he had to go back to work. Unfortunately, I was seated at a table which wasn't in his section.

Looking Ahead.
This evening (Thursday the 25th) I'll go to another BSO concert, and Friday to another evening at the HMA. I don't expect to see Seth, since he didn't say he works regularly on Fridays. Next week, the HMA has its last social evening on Wednesday, and my final BSO concert of the season is on Thursday, May 2.

Meanwhile, the yacht club reopens for the summer this Saturday. The racing season begins in earnest about a month later. The Race Committee schedule hasn't been issued yet, but I expect to be assigned to help run the races on seven or eight Saturdays from June through September. Then the concert and theater seasons will resume.

Theology of the Body 2012/11/04

"In Genesis we see the body as a gift, revealed in all its radiant purity — its 'nakedness.' In the state of original innocence, nakedness wasn't shameful. Nakedness becomes shameful when the woman is an object for the man, or the man an object for the woman.[*] Interior innocence kept Adam and Eve from reducing each other to the level of a mere object. They were united by their shared awareness of the body as a gift.

"When does the body cease to be a gift? When we turn it into an object, using it for self-gratification. This denial of the gift marks the end of innocence and the beginning of shame.

"In their nakedness, Adam and Eve gave of themselves and accepted each other. This exchange of the gift involved the whole of their being — their humanity, their masculinity and femininity, their bodies and souls.

"At this level, the giving and the receiving are so intertwined that there is almost no distinguishing between them. The two become one — it is difficult to know where giving stops and receiving begins.

"In the mystery of creation, the woman is brought to man as a gift. Thanks to original innocence, she is accepted by him as a person good in and of herself, not as an object. …Eve discovers herself and the meaning of her femininity …. because she's been accepted [by Adam] in the way the Creator meant her to be accepted.

"From the beginning, the woman was a gift for the man. She was entrusted to his eyes, his sensitivity, his heart. To complete the exchange of the gift, he must give himself to her in return.

"This mutual self-giving creates the communion of persons, enriching both the man and the woman. Love begets love."


[*] I'd add that it also becomes shameful when people regard others of the same sex as objects.

Theology of the Body 2012/09/03

"Adam and Eve were naked before they realized they were naked. In the state of original innocence, they looked upon each other in wonder and gratitude. In this way, they shared the vision of their Creator, who saw all that he had made and declared it 'very good' (Gen. 1:31).

"'Nakedness' signifies the original goodness of creation in God's eyes. …[T]hrough [God's vision] we see the high value of man and woman and the purity of sex and the body. …[T]here was no opposition between the physical and the spiritual. There was also no opposition between male and female — the two existed in unity. Adam and Eve looked at each other … with the eyes of their hearts.

"Shame limits our ability to see each other fully. But … Adam and Eve were unashamed. They were not afraid to open up to each other, to become vulnerable. They saw and knew each other intimately … . Because they were complementary — Adam's masculinity and Eve's femininity completed each other — they had a special understanding of the meaning of their bodies. They became gifts for each other.

"At the beginning, Adam and Eve shared a particular understanding of their bodies as gifts. This is the gift-giving or 'nuptial' meaning of the  body.

"As Christ reminds us, God is the Creator, man is the creature. … Why does God create? Why did he call all things from nothingness into being?

"Because he is love (1 John 4:8).

"We do not find [the word 'love'] in the creation story. But the narrative tells us repeatedly, 'God saw what he had made, and it was very good.' …[O]nly love gives birth to goodness and delights in what is good (1 Cor. 13). Creation is a gift.

"… With any gift, there is a relationship established between the giver and the receiver. We see this relationship most clearly in the creation of man — God gave us his image, and this puts us in a unique position with him. Among all creatures, only man is really capable of giving and receiving a gift.  Only man can understand that creation is a gift, and offer himself to God in return.

"Creation is God's gift, bestowed on man. But man is not only the recipient of a gift — he is also a gift himself — with the freedom to give himself to another."

The question has occurred to me: What would have happened if Adam and Eve had not lost their original innocence, if they had not sinned? Could nakedness without shame have continued  when there were children with parents, brothers and sisters, and extended human community? If so, the nuptial meaning of the body would not have meant that each person was a gift to every other person in the same way that Adam and Eve were to each other. But would nakedness have meant some non-sexual, less than total, degree of gift?

Theology of the Body 2012/08/14

I'm continuing with excerpts from the book Pope John Paul II' Theology of the Body in Simple Language. In the light of my own opinions (here and here) and experience of nakedness, I think the section I have now come to is important for my own reflection and understanding, and perhaps for my readers to consider when they form their opinions about my thoughts and actions.

In my previous excerpts, the Pope raised the point that before the Fall Adam and Eve were naked in each other's presence without shame.

"Shame is … very complex …. [Some aspects of shame are] "fear for oneself in the presence of another … an instinctive need to be accepted and affirmed by the other … the longing for self-acceptance. Shame is a barrier between persons, but at the same time it seeks to draw them together.

"Shame — in particular, sexual modesty — plays an important role in the formation of society by affecting the relationship between the sexes [and, I expect, between same-sex-attracted members of the same sex]. It expresses the rules for the communion of persons, while also reminding us of our original solitude as individuals before God. But what does absence of shame mean in the state of original innocence?

"We often hear childhood described as a 'time of innocence.' But it would be misleading to compare Adam and Eve's situation with that of children. "The words of Genesis 2:25, 'they felt no shame.' don't express a lack of development, but a fullness. …Adam and Eve had a full understanding of the meaning of the body, bound up with their nakedness. When this fullness is lost, shame appears. What, then, is this understanding of the body and original nakedness?

"To answer this question, we have to remember man's original solitude — his aloneness among the other living creatures. This solitude, together with the creation of man as male and female, prepared the way for Adam and Eve's joyful discovery of their humanity. At the same time, this discovery was made possible by the body. The naked body was the visible source of this realization, which established their unity.

"The words of Genesis 2:25 … bring us inside the experience of Adam and Eve. This interior perspective is necessary to discover the fullness of interpersonal communication that allowed Adam and Eve to be naked but unashamed.

"… [I]n its original and deepest meaning, communication takes place between person, face to face. We communicate on the basis of our shared humanity.

"In light of communication, the body takes on an entirely new meaning, beyond the exterior. It concretely expresses our interior selves. [Emphasis added.] The body enables man and woman, right from the beginning, to communicate with each other as God created them to, in the fullness of a communion of persons.

"Original nakedness can only be understood in the context of this communion. The words 'they felt no shame' indicate an original depth of understanding between persons. Adam and eve perfectly accepted each other, affirming each other's masculinity and femininity.

"This fullness of understanding, expressed by physical nakedness, prarllels our nakedness before God. 'Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account' (Heb. 4:13).

"Before the Fall, Adam and Eve were truly naked — revealed in all their simplicity and beauty before God and each other."

Theology of the Body 2012/07/15

"Genesis 2:25 says, 'The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. …[T]his detail … introduces us to one of the main elements in the story: the theme of original nakedness. This is, in fact, the key to understanding the biblical vision of man's created nature.

"This verse … is a description of human consciousness. … It describes Adam's experience of femininity as revealed by Eve's naked body, and, at the same time, Eve's experience of masculinity through Adam's naked body. …

"Several verses later, in the account of man's Fall, we read:

…Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized that they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. (Gen. 3:7)

"After breaking their covenant with God, Adam and Eve experience their bodies differently — for the first time, they become conscious of their nakedness and are ashamed. Between Genesis 2:25 and 3:7, there is a fundamental shift.

"… Does this mean that before the Fall Adam and Eve didn't really see each other's naked bodies? Or has a change taken place on a much deeper level.

"It is not simply that Adam and Eve have gone from a state of ignorance to "knowing." Instead, there has been a radical change in the meaning of the original nakedness of man and woman in front of each other. This change emerges from their conscience; it's a fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

"This change directly involves the way we experience the meaning of bodies. After their eyes are 'opened,' Adam and Eve first cover their bodies from each other's sight; then they try to hide from God.

But the Lord God called to the man, 'Where are you?' He answered, 'I heard you in the in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.' (Gen. 3:8-10)

"Shame is a fundamental human experience. … In Genesis, this experience marks the border between original innocence and man's sinfulness. To understand what it means to be without shame, and what significance this has for us today, we must look back to the time of original innocence."

Naked without Shame

My friend whom I call Zack (there are earlier posts;  check under the label "friend") came to visit me for a couple of days. First he went for dinner at the home of the mother of the man whose funeral we attended last October. He had been that man's personal care attendant, and friend, for five years. The mother invited me to join them as well, and we had a pleasant evening, with many reminiscences of the son/friend.

Then Zack and I came to my home. He had said that he thought he would be willing to go naked with me on this visit.  So when we got here I noted that he was in a "clothing optional" house, and we promptly removed our clothes and sat down, he on a sofa and I on a chair which faced in the same direction. We talked about the visit and dinner at his late friend's home, and I told of a cousin who seems to be comfortable with nudity.

The following evening (Tuesday) we went to Boston for dinner and an opera, and on Wednesday we went to the Cabot Street Cinema to see "The Artist." There were also a couple of errands to buy food, but most of the time we spent in the house, and most of that was in the nude. At first Zack seemed a little hesitant to be facing me while standing up, but by Wednesday morning he was completely comfortable with it, as I  had been from Monday evening.

The first thing I should note is that during the whole time he was here we did nothing sexual. There were  a couple of times when my thoughts (he's an attractive young man) led to a passing moment of beginning arousal, but they passed quickly. He told of something similar when I was telling him about my cousin. But there was nothing even remotely approaching sexual activity.

We talked a lot about the loss of his friend and about tangential matters, about regrets we had over times when each of us did things that we would like to be able to undo. We watched a Red Sox game on TV. I showed him my church.

But what was it like being naked with him? Well, as I said he's an attractive young man, but he's attractive with his clothes on, and I doubt I'd have felt any differently if we had been clothed the whole time. I will say though, that it was satisfying being able to be naked in front of a friend, to share my nudity with him and to know (because he was doing the same) that it wasn't freaking him out. I'm still "processing" the experience, though. What's the point of it? Is there some low-grade exhibitionism in wanting to be seen naked? Is there some low-grade voyeurism in wanting to see someone naked? How is this similar to or different from guys going skinny-dipping? To what extent is it just a matter of being happy to have a friend with whom I can share the enjoyment of nudity which I have had for some time?

Basically, I think it was a positive experience to be able to be naked without sex and without shame with a friend, and I hope there will be further opportunities for nudity with Zack, and even with others (thinking about that cousin, and a couple of straight friends). I think that each time it will be increasingly comfortable, and I am grateful for his visit, which ended Thursday morning, about 2 1/2 days after he got here.

Maybe, I'll have further thoughts about it to post here, or in response to any comments.

Sorrow — Update

My friend (I'll call him "Zack") arrived from upstate New York late Friday afternoon and after a brief tour of my hometown we headed in to Boston and had dinner at the restaurant Scollay Square where Seth the waiter had worked. We had a nice dinner, and he enjoyed the restaurant. We then went to a nearby theater to catch a showing of the movie "50/50" which he had seen and wanted to share with me. Unfortunately, it was sold out. So we went back home and watched the ball game on TV for a while. I dozed off. He went to bed, and I did so as well.

When I got up in the morning, I followed my usual routine and didn't bother putting anything on until it was time to leave the house to go to Mass. I figured Zack wouldn't mind, since he had spoken approvingly of being naked. I didn't directly ask how he felt about it, and he didn't volunteer that he had any problem with it. I hope he was okay with it. Before leaving for Mass, I made a pot of coffee for him.

At Mass, there is a short part called the Prayer of the Faithful, and at the church I went to, they invite the congregation to mention things to pray for, so I said, "For the repose of the soul of [the young man] let us pray to the Lord," and all responded, as usual, "Lord hear our prayer."

The funeral home was about a 45 minute drive from my home, and since Zack was not going to come back with me, we decided that I would lead him there. Visiting hours were from 11:00 to 1:00 with a memorial service at 1:00. Zack thought that 11:30 would be a good time to leave, and we actually headed out at about 11:25; but with delays we didn't arrive until about 12:30.

Zack knew many of the people there, and they greeted him warmly. The young man who died had muscular dystrophy; but, as many of those who spoke pointed out, he had always maintained a positive attitude, without complaining. Instead he did what he wanted to do, finding ways to get around his disability. Zack spoke of his five years as the personal care attendant for the young man and of the love in action which his mother had always shown. The mother and son were atheists, but I think of the words in the Bible: God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God and God in them.

The lesson that we were left with is to pay attention to what you can do, rather than what you can't, and to enjoy what you can do and to do what you want. To me this doesn't mean to give in to every whim, but to realize what is important, what is worthwhile, and what is good, and to take advantage of opportunities to do those things, rather than to pursue things which ultimately aren't worth doing. He realized that his time was limited, and he seems to have decided to make the most of it. But for those of us who do not have a debilitating disease like his, it is still a fact that our time is limited, no matter how long it may be, so we too should be spending it wisely, living in the love of our families and friends and pursuing our abilities and talents.

It is a time of sorrow for many at the loss of one they loved from their lives. They will always carry his memory in their hearts. As a Christian, I hold the hope that they will meet him again with joy when their lives on this earth are completed.

Theology of the Body — 2011/08/31

"In [1 Corinthians 12:18-25], Paul gives us a realistic description of the human body. It is not realistic because it is scientific, but because it resonates with truth.

"Science … can only describe the body as a physical object. It cannot describe the entire human person, who is expressed through the body and, in a sense, is the body. All of human culture — literature, visual art, sculpture, dancing, theatre, and so on — witness to the importance of the body in expressing the person.

…

"… Because of its divine creation and redemption, the body is worthy of honor. At the same time, this body belongs to sinful men and women. When Paul writes of its 'unpresentable parts,' we remember the shame experienced by the first human beings as a result of sin. That shame reminds us of our original innocence.

"The sexual parts of the body are not unpresentable because of any dishonor. They are only unpresentable because of shame and lust — the fruits of sin.

"At the same time, shame has a positive aspect, encouraging respect for the body. 'The parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty.' Though shame was a result of sin, it can help us overcome sin through self-control.

"Before sin, Adam and Eve … were naked and felt no shame. This harmony was part of God's original plan for the body.

"The disorder we feel in our bodies is a result of sin. … Paul urges us to restore order. How? By controlling our bodies with holiness and honor. Harmony in the body springs from harmony in the heart.

"Purity of heart allowed Adam and Eve to enjoy each other in fullness and simplicity. With sin came shame and lust. But hope is not lost. Through Christ's redemptive power, the heart can gradually gain victory over lust. Victory is not only possible — it is necessary. …"


A reminder: These posts on Theology of the Body are excerpts from Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body in Simple Language, an adaptation and condensation of his massive series of talks on the subject at his Wednesday general audiences.

Pleasant Day

Yesterday (Thursday, June 30, local time), I spent much of the day with my friend from blogging whom I've hung out with several times. I gave him a "magnetic bookmark" showing the painting of a sleeping dog from the exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum which I recently visited. (You can see the painting in the link in EcceHomo's comment to my post.) We hung out for several hours, including lunch and visiting a couple of historic houses. One house featured an exhibition of late 19th Century paintings by an artist from that town. Most were family members or scenes from his travels. But one of the largest was titled "The Bathers," and it showed two nude boys, probably in their early teens, on a grassy lawn, with water in the foreground and trees in the background. The nearer boy is seated on the grass, facing to the viewer's right, with his leg and arms in positions that hide his genitals. The other boy is standing, facing away from the viewer and holding a towel that hides part of his upper back. It was certainly an interesting painting, but not sexually arousing. I think it meets the criteria of Pope John Paul II for legitimate depictions of nudity.

Speaking of nudity, at one point my friend remarked that it would be nice if it were acceptable for people to walk around naked, because the day was ideal for it. I agreed completely: a perfect day to be naked outdoors. If I hadn't been with him, I probably would have been clothes-free at home most of the day.

At one point he suggested that we get together again in the evening for dinner. Fortunately, I was free that evening. So when the daytime visit was over, I went home, took a nap, checked the internet, and then met him for dinner at a restaurant a few miles from where we had spent the day. We enjoyed steaks, drinks, desserts, and, most importantly, pleasant conversation which continued as we strolled for a while after dinner in the moments shortly before sunset on the beautiful summer evening. As always, neither of us wanted the time together to end, but we managed to say good night and go our separate ways home.

Some Thoughts on Nudity

In Principle. It seems, as I reflect on it, that nakedness has always been attractive to me, but I had gotten the idea that it was somehow immoral except in limited circumstances, such as showering. But I have come to realize a couple of things. One is that if the Bible says Adam and Eve were naked without shame before the Fall, that is, before they sinned, nakedness can't be inherently immoral. Another is that nudity is not necessarily sexual — non-sexual nudity is possible even now, after the Fall.

But why did Adam and Eve want to be covered after the Fall? Pope John Paul II, in his "Theology of the Body," explains that among the elements of our fallen condition, is lust. We are aware of our and others' lustfulness, and we want to preserve ourselves from being reduced to objects of lust. We want to preserve our dignity as persons, not objects. And we do this by covering our sexual organs.

Clothing is also to some extent cultural. Beyond the genitals, displaying other areas can be erotic when keeping them covered is customary.

When there is no intention of provoking lust, nudity is not immoral. So, clearly, nudity when one is alone is not morally problematic. Beyond that, there is no problem with nudity within a family that is accustomed to it. Moving beyond the family to other settings, such as beaches and other social settings, it seems to me that it depends on expectations. Obviously the more people involved, the greater the chance that some will begin to experience lustful feelings. But if people who enjoy the comfort of non-sexual nudity by themselves or in their family get together on beaches or at resorts, it seems that that should not present a problem.

John Paul II also sees artistic nudity as acceptable. In his view, which makes sense to me, it depends on the intention of the artist. A work which respects the integrity of the person is acceptable. One which is created in a way which is intended to provoke lust is not. For the viewer, of course, the reaction is also important. For example, here's a photo which Edward at "Pardon My Schadenfreude" posted a couple of months ago. To me this is legitimate. It is not eroticized. The model is not doing anything sexually inviting. It seems reminiscent of Michelangelo's David, showing a human person in his simple beauty. I'd say one who finds himself turned on by it should not look at it, but I certainly would not consider the photographer a pornographer for this work.

Personal Experience. Maybe eight or nine years ago I began regularly sleeping in the nude. One night I just decided to give it a try and found it  comfortable. After my mother died and I was normally alone in the house, I began being naked around the house from time to time. Again it is a matter of feeling comfortable. In winter the air is so dry, that after I get dressed in the morning to go out, I rarely feel like getting naked until it's time to go to bed. But in the more humid weather, nudity is more inviting. Often I don't bother, once I'm dressed. (I've never been one for changing clothes when I didn't have to.) But there are days when being naked just feels good. For example, today's outdoor high temperature was 91.1°F (33C), and at about 8:00 p.m. it was 83.1 (28.4). Indoors at that time is was 86.5 (30.3) upstairs, 81.7 (27.5) downstairs, and 76.8 (24.9) here in the cellar. Nudity is much more comfortable than wearing clothes.

One limitation is my brother, who tends to visit twice a week. I've always believed that he'd freak out if he saw me naked or knew I was a closet nudist. He seems to still think that unnecessary nudity is immoral. Just last Wednesday, I knew he would visit in the evening. I was in the cellar at my computer, naked, at about 2:00 when he came in the back door. Yikes! He usually doesn't arrive before 4:00. And the shirt and shorts I had available in case someone came to the door were in the dining room. I dashed around the cellar and couldn't find anything to put on that wouldn't make it obvious I had been nude. So I went up the stairs. Fortunately, he had gone to the wing where his bedroom is, and I heard him close the door to the bathroom off the kitchen. So I ran through the kitchen to the dining room, grabbed the clothes, and went to the living room to put them on. By the time he got out of the bathroom, I was "fully dressed." But it was a narrow escape. He virtually never comes straight to the cellar when he arrives. But if he hadn't gone to the bathroom, getting to my clothes and putting them on unseen would have been much dicier. Not that I was doing anything wrong, just that he'd have been greatly upset.

Theology of the Body — 2010/3/16

     "The shame felt by Adam and Eve before their Creator could be called 'cosmic shame.' But their sin also gave rise to human shame between Adam and Eve.
     "In the fulness of creation Adam mirrored God not only by himself but in his communion with Eve. When shame disrupted their communion, Adam and Eve were compelled to hide their nakedness from each other.
     "… Adam becomes conscious of having a body. What once was light, aglow with the spirit, transparently revealing the image of God, now seems heavy and burdensome.
     …
     "… The 'man of lust' does not control his body with ease and naturalness, as the man of original innocence did. Self-control is essential to the moral integrity of human beings. Lust attacks the person at his core by throwing body and spirit out of balance.
     "Shame between persons is connected with this imbalance. It is especially highlighted in the area of sexuality. We see this in Genesis 3:7, when Adam and Eve cover the parts of their bodies that specifically reveal their sexuality."
   

Theology of the Body — 2010/3/14

     "'Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"
     "'He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."' (Gen 3:8-10)
     "… Physical nakedness is not the source of Adam's fear.…
     "…[N]akedness is actually a sign of fullness — of all the good that God intended for man. In the beginning the human body was a clear sign of God's image. Through its masculinity and femininity, it was a sign of mutual, self-giving love. In a way, man's acceptance of the body was the key to his acceptance of the entire world — the gift of creation.…
     "…[Adam] has lost the sense that the image of God is expressed in his body.… For Adam and Eve, clothing became a sign of their alienation from the gift of creation, their rejection of God's love.
     "Sin obscures the true meaning of the body as a sign of the human person, made in the image of God.…
     …
     "Through sin, man lost his original fullness of the image of God. Lust — of the flesh, of the eyes, and the pride of life — is completely foreign to the image of God. But it is part of our fallen humanity.
     "Shame is not directly linked to the body. Neither is lust. Shame and lust arise from the heart; they are the results of sin, not of nakedness in and of itself."

Theology of the Body — 2010/3/12

     "Here are the first words describing man after the Fall: 'Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they realized they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves' (Gen. 3:7).
     "This sentence also describes the beginning of lust. Originally, 'The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame' (Gen. 2:25).  Now, as a result of sin, shame has entered the picture. With shame comes that which is 'not of the Father but of the world' — lust."