The profound statement, “Your body is a temple of the holy Spirit,” drawn from 1 Corinthians 6.19 20 (written by St. Paul), elevates the human body from mere biological matter to a sacred sanctuary. This metaphor means that the body is not just personal property but a consecrated dwelling place for the divine presence. The idea that the body is a sacred dwelling place carries ethical weight, requiring us to maintain both physical health and moral integrity. Honoring the temple means actively trying to maintain its health as well as to groom it as if it were special and share physical intimacy with respect for oneself and one’s sensual partner.
The practical meaning, therefore, is an imperative: every choice concerning our physical and mental well-being must reflect reverence for the divine inhabitant. We are called to live intentionally, using our bodies as tools to glorify the sacred in all actions and expressions. For queer persons, the respect for one’s body is a special devotion, suggesting that queer identity and sensuality are deserving of awe and reverence and that Queer sensuality is to be taken seriously and treated with dignity and honor.
