In Theory:

When asked to express the greatest commandment, Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37, New International Version). In this statement he brings together the three factors that govern our existence: Heart (body), soul (spirit) and mind (intellect). When the three are in sync, we find a complete expression of our humanity and a connection to the Divine. Therefore, it is essential that they are in balance.

Body and soul are dependent on each other. A healthy body will give opportunities for the soul to expand and renew. Science tells us of the benefits of exercise, not only to produce physically fit specimens, but also to boost self-esteem, confidence and alleviate mild depression.

The Armenian Church, as well as all the ancient Orthodox churches, has practiced this holistic approach to existence since its beginnings. Nearly one-third of the church’s annual calendar is devoted to fasting, so that physical cleansing can accompany spiritual transformation. Bible study is always coupled with exercises for the soul through penance. In other words, the health of body, soul and mind are essential for the completeness of the human being.

Balancing the three and not allowing one to have more dominance over the others is the regimen of life. Exaggeration and too much of anything will destroy the natural order of life.

FATHER VAZKEN MOVSESIAN

Armenian Church Youth Ministries

In His Shoes Mission

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with being fit and taking care of one’s body.

In fact, we have a responsibility to honor this great, God-given gift.

Through our bodies and the talents God has bestowed upon us, we give him glory throughout life.

There is, though, a line that is crossed when someone has an absolute obsession with their body (or with anything else for that matter).

So much time can be spent at the gym or working out that the emphasis is not so much health, but a very ego-centered preoccupation to look good. This often bespeaks a self-image that itself is damaged and immature.

When I am so preoccupied with the self, I can only kneel at the altar of my own existence. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin said as much when he commented that moral maturity is reached on the day we realize that we really have only two choices in life: genuflect before something higher or begin to self-destruct.

Narcissism is an unfortunate sign of our culture today.