Are you spiritual or carnal?

I WAS happy to learn that a grandnephew of mine is part of
a boy band in Manila that won a competition recently. His mother, my
niece, diligently sends me videos of his performances. I can’t help
but make time to see them, in spite of my tight schedule.

At least, seeing them makes me reminisce my younger days
when I too was part of a band. The difference was that mine was a
seminary band and my performances were limited to certain audiences
and occasions. His would bring him to public concerts and dimly
lighted clubs.

Still, the viewings would provoke me to make certain
observations and considerations. Like, how different the singing style
is now. That’s to be expected, of course, But there seems to be a
deliberate attempt to appeal to the sensual.

Somehow we can make that conclusion, tentative at least,
because of the reaction of the audience. I can’t help but notice the
shrieking of girls and some boys, and the look of awe on their faces,
that clearly show a mere knee-jerk behavior.

This is where the difference is greatest. But let me
hasten to say that such difference may just be a matter of taste and
preferences due to differences in age, culture, temper of the times,
etc. to which tolerance and mutual respect should be exercised. But we
need to clarify a few things.

Certainly, looks play a big part of their formula for
popularity. With hair colored, brushed up or spiked, faces slightly
made-up, skin-tight pants and shirts that literally follow the
contours of their physique, some metallic accessories pierced or
dangling somewhere, the boys simply inflict swooning on their audience
their age.

Their movements and choreography include swaying,
grinding, shrugging and twisting that definitely are flammable and
electric to youthful sensitivities. Many in the audience are left
completely defenseless and floored.

It seems to me that things are arranged in such a way as
to give free rein to the primitive urges and hormones, detached or
still unconnected to the directing influence of right reason, let
alone, of faith, hope and charity.

As we can see, our urges and hormones, and the world of
the senses in general, or the aspect of sensual pleasure in our life
are not bad in themselves. They just need to be directed by right
reason, and especially by faith, hope and charity.

These latter, to be cure, do nothing to suppress or
annihilate our urges and hormones which are an integral part of our
humanity. What they do is simply put them in their right places or on
the right track so that these senses, urges and hormones truly express
and affirm our real dignity as persons, and not just objects or
animals.

In other words, when left on their own, these senses,
urges and hormones can be dangerous, since they would be deprived of
direction. They would simply remain on the level of the material and
the worldly that is proper only to inanimate objects or to animals,
but not to us as persons, and especially as children of God.

They would simply be subjected to laws of physics,
chemistry, sociology, economics, politics, etc., but not to the moral
law that would consider us in our totality as persons with
intelligence and will, freedom and responsibility.

Let’s hope that we can be more aware of this concern and
comply with its requirements. At the moment, there seems to be a
worldwide trend toward pure sensualization or carnalization, leading
us, especially the young, to be merely carnal, instead of being
spiritual, to use terms defined by St. Paul.

It’s important that we develop a certain sensitivity to
this concern because otherwise we would all be deluded by a very
treacherous virus, a sweet poison that can truly harm us individually
and collectively.

To repeat, this is not at all about suppressing or
disparaging in any way the value of the senses, the urges and the
hormones, and the sentiments, feelings, passions that they produce.
Neither the value of the physical attributes we have.

We just have to realize more deeply that they need to be
ruled and directed by reason and ultimately by faith, hope and
charity. Otherwise, we can be accused by Christ himself who once said
of some people –

‘They look but do not see and hear but do not listen or
understand.’  And citing a prophecy of Isaiah, he said, ‘Gross is the
heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have
closed their eyes…’