Soul Kitchen

A young co-worker of mine loves to read. She has asked me what books I have read and liked. Most books she has read, I have not, but there have been a few. She told me about a book she checked out from the library that she found very interesting. It is about a woman who dressed as a man for 18 months with help from make-up artists, body trainers and a voice coach and infiltrated the world of men, frequenting places and becoming involved in situations where women rarely see or experience. Since my friend thought it was a good read, for conversation's sake and a way of connecting with her, I checked it out from the library.

The woman who wrote the book is a journalist and a self-revealed lesbian. This, while not a commentary on her intelligence, writing skills or bravado in taking on such adventurous research, it did give me reason to look closely at her insights and conclusions because of my differing world view regarding human sexuality. Admittedly, I have only read the introduction and first 2 chapters, so my full judgment and complete opinion has not been formed, however, this is what I see:

From what I have read so far, to gain insight, she befriended men by joining a bowling league. The friends she made cheated on their wives and went to strip joints. Good grief! These men and the things they did (and the things she observed in those places dressed as a man) are to be on what we as readers are supposed to base our understanding of the world of men?! Clearly, what she was proclaiming as normal (albeit noted that it was unfortunate and worthy of sympathetic expression) behaviour for men is nothing like the healthy ways of Godly manhood. To me what she wrote about was a picture of people whom God had "given over" to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. (Romans 1) Darkness pretending to be illuminating. Who wants insights into a mind deprived of light and truth?

I guess my point is this: The ways of God are vastly different than the ways of the world. God's way of thinking about men, women and the relationships between them are incongruous with how people operate - if left to themselves. God has given them over to depraved thinking, because they made a choice to leave him out of it. Depraved thinking leads to depraved behaviour which is really, really dark. Darkness is ugly and consuming. There is no light in darkness.

I became so aware of the gift of light that we have been given. In God there is no darkness at all! (1 John 1:5) We have been transferred out of the domain of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of God's beloved Son. (Colossians 1:13) At one time we were darkness, but now we are light in the Lord! (Ephesians 5:8) What a beautiful Saviour!

Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Ephesians 5:8-10