Beauty, Honor, Immodesty & Power

I just don't know if it could get any better than this.  Bravo, Jessica Rey.  Thank you facebook friends, for this link!

In this short talk, that is oh-so-worth the 9 minutes to watch, Ms. Rey explains the history of the swimsuit and the research that tells plainly how men react to images of women in itsy-bitsy swimsuits and images of women dressed more modestly.

There are hundreds of comments after the video about girls having the right to wear what they want, but the case has been made ever so plainly (and we all know this anyways) that a woman's dress can be like a trigger for a man.  Yes, still, he is absolutely, entirely responsible for his actions, but there is honor to be had here for women and honor to be given to men in a woman's choice of dress.   And oh, Christians, there is honor to be given to the Lord when we present ourselves beautifully and appropriately for his glory.  What dignity for men and women to relate with each other as equally valueable in the image of God, not seeking to sway, to manipulate others, by our powers of allure or seeking to use others as an non-personal object for "my" pleasure.

A radiantly God-glorifying marriage is the place for magnificent immodesty and all the joy and irregretable freedom in expression and relationship that it should and does lead to.  But our dress in public should be aimed to communicate honor to others (to light up the parts of their brains where they can appreciate us as people), and honor for ourselves (we are more valuable than mere sex objects), and for the Lord who made us in His magnificent image as thinkers, worshippers, feelers, as whole people, and not simply as sexual animals.

She mentions that the 1960's sexual revolution was largely after power for women.... but she presents the case so well ...  (my paraphrase) The power that's derived from the freedom to reveal yourself or draw attention to your body is not equality or honor for a woman or for a man.  The power to make men look at you like an object, like a tool they could use, is not a virtuous power for any person or helpful to any society.  

Yes, modesty is a cultural issue and it does change and it's a matter for wisdom with hearts seeking the Spirit and not the letter of the law.  And it most certainly isn't about controlling anyone.  God-honoring, beautiful modesty is not a matter of controlling women by telling them that they must wear only XYZ but about inviting them to choose dignity and communicate the high worth with which they were made.  It's equally freeing for men because it invites and encourages them to respond honorably to women as people who were made to radiate the multi-faceted glory of God and not just a single sexual impulse.

"Modesty isn't about covering up our bodies because they're bad; it isn't about hiding ourselves.  It's about revealing our dignity,"  Jessica Rey says.  Modesty is important because people are, and people are worth more than just sex.  Our modesty in public and dignity at all times is an honor to celebrate and a delight to give as praise to our Maker!