DAILY READING
The Soul of the World, by Roger Scruton, Excerpt from Chapter 5 Facing Each Other - "A sincere kiss is willed. That is true, at least, of the kiss of affection. In the kiss of erotic passion, however, the will is also in part overcome, and in this context the purely willed kiss has an air of insincerity. The sincere erotic kiss is both an expression of will and a mutual surrender. Hence it requires a kind of government of the mouth, so that the soul can breath out from it, and also a surrender there, on the perimeter of one's being. Hence the kiss is the most important of desire - the moment in which lovers are fully face-to-face and also totally exposed to one another. The pleasure of a kiss is a matter not of sensations, but of the I-You intentionality and what it means." Song of Songs 1, Verse 2, "Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine." The Clouds Are More Beautiful, My Personal Creed, An Excerpt - "I believe a smile is not a grin, that a smile can only be experienced not explained. And that too many people have not experienced enough smiles." Quote by Bob Marly - "The best curve of a woman is her smile." Quote by Mother Teresa - "Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love." Anonymous Quote - "Sometimes a hug is worth a thousand words." Quote by Maya Angelou - “Every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.” New Testament Bible Popular Greeting - "Greet one another with a holy kiss." Number 6, Verses 24-26 - "May the Lord Bless You and Keep You, May the Lord Make His Face Shine Upon You And be Gracious Upon You, May the Lord Lift His Countenance Upon You And Give You Peace." John 3, Verses 16-17 - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 1 Corinthians 13, Verse 13 - "But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love." DAILY MESSAGE My husband often says what he loves about me most is my laugh and my smile. My laugh and smile are forms of affection that I share with him, friends & family, and acquaintances & strangers. There are many intimate and warm moments I remember with loved ones where smiling and laughing was the response in my heart, and I was rejoicing. Sometimes this rejoicing was minimal, but it stood out from the darkness that had otherwise engulfed my life. The erotic kiss of super-intimacy is often glossed over in our super-sexed up culture, but with an awareness about it I believe it may be one of the most vulnerable moments between a man and a woman in a relationship. It bears the kind of intimacy that says I'm in my raw form here. And yet greetings - either with a holy kiss or by handshake - express a different kind of affection - often one of respect and regard for the other person. Its a polite kind of greeting with a form of physical touch often between friends or acquaintances. The last form of affection, the hug, can be very intimate and therapeutic, and at the right time can turn someone's personal dark experience into something that can be shared and felt by two or more. I agree "a hug [can be] worth more than a thousand words". In my personal creed, "The Clouds are More Beautiful," I say, "I believe a smile is not a grin, that a smile can only be experienced not explained. And that too many people have not experienced enough smiles." It is affection for one another that binds the human race together - through family bonds, friendships and even many strangers. It is affection from God that binds the Heavens and the angels to us here on earth. From Numbers 6, "May the Lord Make His Face Shine Upon You" is an awesome phrase - His Face Shining on Us is a very warm kind of affection - a super-smile so to speak from Heaven. In the world, there are places where darkness has a foothold in people's lives - these are places where Faith, Hope and Love do not abide. Some people have not experienced enough smiles or enough affection. This can occur behind closed doors in a home, or within a dark organization, or under unethical slave-like conditions legal or illegal. Genuine smiles, hugs, warm greetings, laughter and edification on God and faith are the arrows we should be shooting that direction with our bow. Real affection is lacking in our own culture in various pockets, as suicide rates and mental illness are at near all time highs. Many cite loneliness as a major factor, especially among the elderly who suffer from these problems. Make yourself a promise today - I will smile more, I will greet more, I will hug more, and not just more, but with true affection and cause. DAILY PRAYER Dear God, Greetings to You with a symbolic holy kiss. I thank you for my husband, and the times we've shared ourselves in the raw - intellectually, emotionally, or physically through kissing and deep hugs. Our marriage has held up through turbulent times and these embraces carry us through, along with a dedicated prayer life. I thank you for my sense of humor so when I'm experiencing dark times I can contact a friend and share a few laughs and get some respite. I think of others who face dark days and hope that I can be sent their way without missing an opportunity - to give a genuine smile, to bring about some laughter, and to provide a hug or pat for them who need a little affection today. I pray for the world, especially areas where darkness seems to have overcome so many - places where faith, hope and love do not abide. Make those areas known to Your people so we may train up with bows and arrows and bring light to bear. Your people shall Overcome, and help others to Overcome as well. Lord, hear my prayer and petition. Amen.
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NOTEThe author can be reached at mnmurphy@usit.net. Archives
December 2019
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