Sexual Healing (Part 7) with Christopher West... continued

Nov 24, 2021

In this engaging conversation, Christopher West, a renowned Catholic speaker and author on Theology of the Body, dives into the depths of sexual healing. He emphasizes that this healing transcends mere sexual issues, focusing on restoring our identity as created beings. Through the metaphor of archaeology, he reveals how loving relationships can unearth hidden wounds, fostering profound healing. Christopher explores the dangers of identity rooted in performance and cultural idols and highlights the transformative power of an honest, loving spouse in the journey towards wholeness.

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INSIGHT

Sexual Healing Restores Identity

Sexual healing is broader than fixing sexual acts; it restores masculinity and femininity at the identity level.
Healing also includes the marital union where husband and wife become one and mirror God's design.

ANECDOTE

Excavator As A Healing Metaphor

Jake recounts learning to operate a mini excavator and links it to excavating the heart during healing.
As he dug he saw roots and changing soil, illustrating how deeper wounds reveal unexpected roots under surface behaviors.

ANECDOTE

From Rejection To Idolizing Beauty

Christopher shares becoming addicted to pornography rooted in rejection wounds and idolizing feminine beauty.
He traced the idol to teenage rituals of staring at a Christie Brinkley poster and later dating a girl who resembled that image.

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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:

Where do I find my identity: in what others think or in how God sees me?
What in my life have I turned into an idol, and how might that get in the way of loving my spouse well?
How would my perspective shift if I saw the idols in my life as icons providing a window to God?
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