Why Bodies are Good Things

Though we can survive without our bodies, we cannot thrive in a disembodied state. Assuming we can have memories without brains, we can think as mere minds or souls and we can pray, but we cannot sense and we cannot perform actions that require a physical means; we are unable to see without eyes and we need legs in order to dance. Though bodiless communication with other humans might be possible through telepathy, we would not be able to see, hear, or embrace each other. In sum, without bodies we would be crippled. Embodiment is a wonderful gift from God.

When Our Earthly Tent is Destroyed

Our house burned down in the Santa Barbara Tea Fire in November 2008. We lost everything except the clothes we were wearing, our laptops, some important papers, and one of our cars. We are grateful that no one was hurt – we all survived in one piece in spite of losing our home and all our stuff. I believe our deaths will be like that too. Though our bodies will eventually be destroyed, we – our souls – will live on, through God’s gracious preservation. And just as our house was rebuilt, we will receive new bodies – at the resurrection of the dead.