"Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them underfoot and turn and attack you."
This was the sort of Gospel reading I could have done with at Youth Group - rather than those ones (which I can’t seem to find) about no sex before marriage, no masturbating, and certainly no acting upon a homosexual orientation. ‘Don’t touch what you haven’t got’ was a particularly confusing piece of advice we often heard down in The Crypt – quite a cryptic Proverb for hormonal teenagers dreaming about nipples and bottoms.
Anyway, I digress!
I find Christ’s advice incredibly empowering, although it has awakened a disturbingly obvious question: why do we do it in the first place? (Give our holy pearls away, that is). I’m not entirely sure what the holy pearls symbolise – but I imagine some form of devotion: meaning-making, wisdom, artistry, poetry, sexuality, vulnerability, comedy, spirituality, intimacy, criticality, integrity, sensuality, generosity, and beauty. But why do we give away something so precious to something so unappreciative and abusive? And keep giving it away? Why can’t we ‘Just say NO’ as the cast of Grange Hill used to sing.
It could be fear: even though we know the pearls will get trodden on, and we will get attacked in some way, we fear a much worse response if we don’t give ourselves to the beast before us.
Or maybe, it's a form of moral pride. We draw a certain ethical superiority and strength from the very fact and act of such a stupid sacrifice - it’s a way of winning (even though we lose).
Perhaps it’s what we know – it’s the way the things are – and our self-esteem confirms it is just the natural order of things: Keep Calm and Carry On Throwing Pearls at Pigs.
I also think it might be to do with our soul’s desire to reconcile, heal, and save the broken, lost, and hurting. And sometimes, instead of facing those wild beasts within us, we fall into the hopelessly dangerous work of trying to fix bad boys, wrong ‘uns, and meanies in our outer circles, relationships, and lovers.
But Christ says Yes to ‘NO’.
No is not a naughty word. Especially to those pigs who trample on our imperfect offerings, gifts, and dreams.
Just Say No:
‘No’ to giving it all away because we’re frightened, proud, or in denial.
'No’ to wasting more time, energy, and storytelling on a muddy dog fight, when we could be stringing pearls and turning Lead into Gold.
‘No’ to the exhausting aftermaths of mad swine attacks.
‘No’ to rummaging in the remains for bits and pieces of leftovers.
‘No’ to low self-esteem, abandonment, and abuse.
‘No’ to the thought that we can’t live with a few swines hating on us (for saying ‘No’).
Say YES to NO and The Holy Pearly Kingdom Within – our spacious gracious home with many rooms - where love conquers fear, and truth sets us free.
Amen