Horizontal vs Vertical Identity

Jake and Bob continue their conversation with Christopher West. If you haven't heard part one, click here to listen because it's essential for understanding the content of today's episode.

Join Jake, Bob and Christopher as they take a deep 'excavating' look at the transformation and healing of identity through the power of an honest and loving spouse. Sexual healing is more than just the healing of sexual things, it's a deeper healing of our identity as men and women made in the image of God. Overtime, within the safety of a loving marriage, each man has discovered areas of their hearts that are in need of redemption. Humility before God and our spouses, and a willingness to invite the Lord into our wounds leads to powerful healing and wholeness.

Guiding Quote:

"It is not in our power to not feel or to forget an offense; but the heart that offers itself to the Holy Spirit turns injury into compassion and purifies the memory in transforming hurt into intercession." (CCC 2843)

Key points:

• Sexual healing is more than a healing of sexual things, it's a healing of our masculinity and femininity
• How the excavation/ archaeological process is a rich analogy for the cooperative healing that can happen between God and ourselves
• The importance of where we find our identity
• The power of an honest spouse in sexual healing
• If we're not living out our commitment of marriage in love for our spouse, then we're also not honouring God
• God is the ultimate healer, because there are things that are beyond our human capacity to transform
• The enemy distorts and sets up idols that prevent us from seeing the God's goodness in world as he intended it
• Breaking open an analogy of self-condemnation: coming 'face to face with the hunchback in the woods'

Practical Application:

1. Where do I find my identity: in what others think or in how God sees me?
2. What in my life have I turned into an idol, and how might that get in the way of loving my spouse well?
3. How would my perspective shift if I saw the idols in my life as icons providing a window to God?
4. Where have I made agreements with the opinions of others that has led to self-condemnation? Go to the Lord in prayer and ask him to love you back to wholeness in those places.

References:

• Theology of the Body Institute from Christopher West
• The Good News about Sex and Marriage, Christopher West (book)
• Christopher West on Pints with Aquinas (podcast)

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Editing by ForteCatholic.com