don't drink the water

Swimming in an ocean of visual temptation, I can’t help inhaling some water from time to time. The simple act of “breathing” as I swim opens the door for potentially poisonous “salt water” to enter my body. But, responding to the thirst that I sense mounting within me, should I open my mouth to drink deeply of this deadly water that surrounds me, I will find myself caught in a powerful whirlpool. The more I drink, the thirstier I get. And the thirstier I get, the more I drink until the excessive intake of salt floods my bloodstream and brings my life to a sudden end.

In an increasingly image-based and sex-driven culture, Christ-followers like me and you can’t help but be exposed to visual material that threatens our spiritual health. Unsurprisingly, when I have not been drinking deeply from the fresh Spring of Living Water, I am far more tempted to quench my soul thirst by opening my mouth wide and swallowing mouthfulls of this salty water that is so easily accessible.

Here in France, I am confronted by pictures of nearly nude people at every turn. It is honestly difficult for anyone but the blind to walk, bike or drive more than ten meters in the city without encountering bare bodies on display. So, each day as I leave my apartment building, even if it is only to walk 3 minutes to the bakery for bread, I am faced with a question: How much of the water am I going to drink? As I walk by that advertisement with the naked woman in the pharmacy window, will I drink deeply, or will I keep my mouth (read eyes) shut? As I pass the magazine stand with pornography on display, will I drink deeply, or will I keep my mouth shut? Should some new image that I’m not expecting catch me by surprise, will I drink deeply, or will I shut my mouth before any more salt water gets in?

I have found that the more free I am with my eyes as I make my way through the streets of Grenoble, the more bound I feel in my spirit. I have no reason to doubt the poisonous effects of this salt water on the state of my soul: I can sense them almost immediately when I give in to the temptation to drink.

Does this mean that I must walk around with a paranoia complex, afraid to look anywhere for fear that I might see something I shouldn’t? Not at all! As I mentioned above, inhaling some salt water from time to time is unavoidable simply by virtue of the fact that you need to breathe (read, you need to open your eyes to see where you are going). The question isn’t: Will I see anything that has the potential to tempt me to sin? The answer to that question is obvious: Of course I will! The real question is: How long am I going to leave my mouth open with my face in the water? How long am I going to let my eyes drink of each tempting image that they come across?

Summer time is upon us. And for men as well as women, this can be a season of spiritual slavery due to our culture’s preoccupation with sexy bodies and sexy clothes. We can be tempted to lust after a person. Or we can be tempted to lust after the sex-appeal that a person has (wishing we had the same). In either case, giving in to such temptation feeds our flesh and starves our spirit. Don’t understimate the poisonous effects of visual self-indulgence. And for God’s sake, don’t drink the water!

chances are

Be gentle with the rude;
For chances are
Something painful sparked the mood.

Show kindness to the mean;
For chances are
Dark days are all they’ve seen.

And love the ones who hate;
For chances are
Their suffering has been great.

For if I see beyond the face
And read between the lines,
Then chances are I’ll give more grace
And see their sins are mine.