Our bodies are temples of God

As I walked down the busiest streets of Singapore, I saw billboards after billboards, advertisements after advertisements claiming painless, non-invasive , no down time, all in 30 minutes miracles to stop or reverse the signs of aging. All wrinkles ironed, all bulges smoothed, to look liked you are 20 years younger or I dare say look even better. I was intrigued, curious for myself as I am at the turn of the decade, when time is no longer kind to me. But at the same time, I wonder if would I really do that? Putting aside the financial constraint that a single income family has, if I have the money in the world, would I?

I started to daydream. What if these beauty miracles are accessible and affordable for everyone? What if the streets are now filled of perfect, impeccable, beautiful slender people? What if I can easily erased the signs of me giving birth to two children completely? What if I can don the size and shape I was before pregnancy? What if I no longer have to stare down at my wrinkled saggy loose skin but to have taut smooth tight tummy? What if the wrinkles around my eyes can be smoothed out, the evidence of the years of growing older and wiser are eradicated in 30 minutes non invasive procedure? What if my grey dull skin can be rejuvenated to look 20 years younger brimming with youth?

What if the streets are filled with homogeneous youthful looking people? All evidence of the years of growing up, growing wiser, rearing children, growing old with your loved ones, all erased completely? Is that what we truly want?

I often look at pictures of rich socialites who can afford the lifestyle many of us can only dream of. At some point, when time is no longer kind, their faces will change. Or should I say, remain unchanged in an unnatural doll like manner. I would oscillate between marvel and horror at the bright pale faces of these ladies, skin taut but face emotionless, san the wrinkles and lines when you smile, frown or cry. I would check their age and try to detect any signs of that number from their slender youthful bodies. I wonder if their children would find it weird to cuddle up to their moms who look liked they are only a few years older, wearing their clothes. I remember when I was young, I love to fall asleep on my mom. Her tummy is soft and plushy and warm, a perfect place to take a short nap. I wonder if these children can do that on those flat toned stomach.

There are another group of women who shun these procedures but rely on skincare routine, facial yoga or uncover some ancient secret rituals to maintain their youthfulness. But even then, at some point, their skin cannot defy gravity, something gotta go and it will be evident eventually. I watched many Taiwanese beauty shows which showcased some of these senior ladies looking liked they are locked in time in their twenties and everyone would marvel and heap praises on them. But I have follow enough of these shows to know they eventually look their age years down.

I understand. I do. I grapple with aging. With metabolism rate declining rapidly as I reach 40, I have to watch what I eat and drag myself to exercise regularly. I put on cream to hopefully slow down the evidence of aging on my face, reducing those deep wrinkles around my eyes when I smile. I hope I look younger than my age and there is this perverted desire that I want to look younger than my peers. 

Yet, I see the futility in all these. We will eventually grow old. No matter how much we try, we can’t stop death. The bible said so very very clearly. This makes me think of Satan. You see, he has lost the battle against God. All over the bible, it is clear he will one day be thrown into the eternal fire. But he doesn’t give up. He continues to lie, to deceive and tempt us away from God. We Christian know the truth but we too get lured away and we sometime believe the lies he say. That we can control aging and that it is good to look slim, young and eternal. But eventually it is just a desperate futile effort. Much liked those senior ladies who relentlessly strive to stop evidence of aging on their bodies, the result is unnatural, fake and desperate. Just like satan. 

I don’t know the point of writing all these out. I guess I will continue to struggle with aging. But hopefully I will one day reconcile the truth of true satisfaction being with God eternally within me and put at rest those lies. To know that this body is the temple of God which is for us to cherish and behold not criticize and lament. To one day be fully satisfied with this unique body God has gifted us. To take care of this temple of God that he has given us so we can do the work He has given us to do in this short life. To be responsible in my lifestyle choices, to keep it healthy without obsessing about how it looks according to this world beauty standard. As Paul famously say, I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate. I guess it will be a lifelong struggle in every aspect of my life.