Flog it!

Those of you of a nervous disposition may wish to look away now, for "this blog contains matters of a sexual nature that some readers may find disturbing" as the TV continuity announcers say.

The Independent newspaper carried a story today about a young woman called Elizabeth Raine (apparently not her real name) who is going to auction her virginity.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/elizabeth-raine-medical-student-plans-to-auction-her-virginity-9208342.html


According to the story Ms Raine, a medical student in America, is doing this for “money, the adventure, the eroticism, the scandal, the absurdity”. But apparently she plans to donate 35% of the winning bid to a charity bringing education to women in developing countries.

Now I suppose it is entirely up to Miss Raine to do with her body whatever she wants. But I cannot help but reflect on the irony of how, in effect, she is prostituting herself in order to educate women in developing countries. These would be the women who in many developing countries are often treated as chattels themselves or at least as second class citizens. Miss Raines seems to be saying "Don't do as I do, do as I tell you"

(By the way, apparently the auction is due to start on 1st April and I wonder whether there is some connection?)

This coming Sunday (23rd March) the Gospel reading from the Lectionary is John 4: 5 - 42. It tells of Jesus' encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well.

Jews, notes John, do not associate with Samaritans. And later in the story it is suggested that this was also a woman of questionable morals.

And yet Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

As they talk something real begins to happen in this woman’s life. As they talk a transformation starts.

As I said a moment ago there is a suggestion that the woman has a somewhat chequered history. Jesus says to her to go and tell her husband what they have been talking about and she replies

‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, “I have no husband”; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband.

And usually this is interpreatted as meaning she has slept with five men and is now living in sin as it were with a sixth.
However, I should point out that this can be interpreted in a different way. The fact that the woman has had five husbands and is now with a sixth man may suggest a scarlet woman. But it is very possible that the woman was subject to what is termed Levirate marriage – which was a tradition in some parts of Judaism.

Levirate marriage is a type of marriage in which the brother of a deceased man is obliged to marry his brother's widow, and the widow is obliged to marry her deceased husband's brother. A levirate marriage is mandated by Deuteronomy 25:5-6 of the Hebrew Bible and obliges a brother to marry the widow of his childless deceased brother, with the firstborn child being treated as that of the deceased brother.

The passage suggests that the woman realises her need for forgiveness – no matter what the sin is.

The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’

And later

She said to the people, 29 ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah,[e] can he?’
The woman wants forgiveness for whatever reason and she is clearly given forgiveness by Jesus. Jesus’ grace forgives her no matter what she may – or may not – have done. This really is an example of “Hear then the words of grace ‘your sins are forgiven’”

Forgiveness through grace comes about following repentance.

In the newspaper article Miss Raine says that:

“I have never been very religious. This probably explains in part why I am able to do this without moral objection”
“I am not devoid of a moral code though, as some might like you to believe. I have just formed my own code - one I like to believe is founded on a world education and human emotion.”

As I said a moment ago I accept that it is up to Miss Raine what she does. I am not judging her - just as Jesus did not judge the woman at the well. But there may come a time in the future when Miss Raine regrets what she has done and may well feel guilty about it. If so, I hope that she will then find the moral code of Jesus that provides forgiveness and healing.