Written by Sue Bohlin
It's not surprising that in a time of growing biblical illiteracy, so
few people have any idea what God thinks and says about the extremely
important subject of sex. The world holds the Christian view of sex in
contempt, considering it prudish, naïve and repressive. But the Bible
elevates sexuality as God's gift to us that is both sacred and
mysterious. The world's perspective degrades it to just something that
feels good—another form of recreation or socialization.
Counselor Waylon Ward offers an insightful way to understand the
problem, which he calls "the Pickle Principle." In order to make
pickles, we put cucumbers in a brine solution of vinegar, spices, and
water. After a cucumber soaks in the brine long enough, it is changed
into a pickle. Most of us are like pickles. We sit in the brine of a
sex-saturated culture, absorbing its values and beliefs, and it changes
the way we think. Even most Christians are pickled today, believing and
acting exactly like everyone else who has been sitting in the brine of a
culture hostile to God and His Word.
Pope Francis on Friday cleared Pope John Paul II
for sainthood, approving a miracle attributed to his intercession and setting
up a remarkable dual canonization along with another beloved pope, John XXIII.
