In his novel “The World, the Flesh, and Father Smith” Bruce Marshall wrote a very intriguing sentence:

 

“The young man who rings the bell at the brothel is unconsciously looking for God.”  At first glance this claim may seem absurd, as it seems that the young man who goes to the brothel is looking for anything but God.  So what did Bruce Marshall mean?  The author was trying to point out something unique and mystical about the sexual act.  In the sexual act, the human person somehow reaches out beyond their own self and transcends to know another person in very intimate way, in the most intimate way.  The uniting of a man and woman in the sexual act is a truly personal act in which they are united and come to know each other through the body, and in which they give the gift of themselves to the other person.  And so, even the young man who seeks to have sex with a woman at the brothel is, in a way, seeking to go outside of himself and encounter another.  

 

The sexual act within marriage is something created by God and it is good.  For it to be as God intended, the sexual act must be an act of mutual giving.  Human beings try to separate the pleasure of the sexual act from procreation.  However, God never intended for the sexual act to be intentionally closed to life.  Is interesting to note how we human beings want to believe that somehow we know more about sex than God.  We seem to think we have empowered ourselves through the invention of birth control. 

 

Archbishop Fulton Sheen with great wisdom once made the following comments about the Birth Control: “the words are not very proper because those who believe in it actually believe neither in birth nor Control.”

What a beautiful creation the sexual act is.  The human heart desires by nature communion with another person.  Ultimately, the human person is restless until it is fully united with the One Who can completely fulfill it’s desires and yearnings.  In the book, “Sex and the Supremacy of Christ” John Piper suggests two points that we should really take some time to consider.  The first is that sexuality is designed as a way to know God in Christ more fully.  And so, sex is an incredible good because it is Holy and designed as a way to know God.  Secondly, he presents that through sex we are able to acknowledge the Supremacy of Christ in the gift of sexuality and the sexual act.  This is true for both the man and the woman.  God is truly pleased when we are able to enjoy sex in the way he intended us to enjoy this incredible gift, and He desires us to enjoy the gift of mutual self-giving and knowing.