Come and Sit in the Dust of Babylon

Come and Sit in the Dust of Babylon

(Why you should not have sex just because someone brings you chocolate)

We all are familiar with the hallmark holiday that is Valentines Day. The lonely feel the most alone, while those who are in relationships feel the pressures to act as though romance was a part of their daily lives. Corporate flower and chocolate companies can finally hit the red zone, a color that can be seen in every corner of every store starting January 5^th.  The one person who can help us see past this red veil that is Valentines Day would be St. Jerome, who speaks about the importance of purity and virginity. He tells us what happens to those of us who give into the temptations of the flesh. Remember ladies, just because you get a box of discount chocolate and flowers he cut from his mother’s garden doesn’t mean that you should drop your panties and your dignity for one night of fake holiday romance.

St. Jerome guides those who have asked the question: how can I keep my purity during a time when so many others are getting lucky and being made to feel loved? He will tell you to have a seat in the dust, for you are no longer tender and delicate; you have been ruined. The only place for you will be one with the dirt, for now your shame will be seen and known by all. Is one night mid-February really worth it? To have “thy nakedness (shall be) uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen”(65) all because this day makes people long for romance. Romance should not end with temptations of the flesh. It is nice to feel wanted and desired, but outside of the marriage bed, ladies, no means no. You do not want to end up sitting in the dust for all to see how dirty you are, all because you gave it up to the first man who tricked you into feeling love by giving you a paper heart with 2,000 calories worth of chocolate inside.

You must remember to trust your faith in God. He is the greatest love of all, and unless you are married, it is to Him that you have all of your faith and trust onto. Jerome prays that you “loose not the belt that confines the bosom” (65) for you must keep your clothing on and remember not to let yourself be fooled into removing your clothes for wanton desires. Jerome speaks that “as soon as lust begins to tickle the senses and the soft fires of pleasure envelope us with their delightful warmth, let us break forth” (65). You must break the trance that the pleasure of the flesh feels and call out to God, for he is on your side and you must remind yourself to trust in him to let these feelings diminish. They are not real; they are brought on by sinful lust and the color of red cardboard hearts. Remind yourself that God is on your side, and do not let those clothes come off. Remind yourself of God to be able to nip these lustful feelings in the bud, for otherwise you will be sent to sit in the dusts of Babylon, and whatever dress you bought for the day will become just as ruined as your soul.  

Of course, feelings of lust and desire are natural human feelings. We all come across the heat of our bodies from time to time, but what separates us from the prostitutes is our ability to say no. Jerome states that these are the men whom “when thoughts begin to rise, gives them no quarter, but dashes them straightway against the rock: and the Rock is Christ” (67). This is yet another reminder for us all to trust in the will of God. He is there for you, and there for you must show faith in his love and abandon all thoughts of carnal desire. God doesn’t just give you flowers one day out of the year; He gives them to you everyday. He doesn’t leave a box of chocolates out for you; He created chocolate factories to create delectable eatables that are available for you always.  Do not listed to the warmth that flows through your body when a man asks you to undress because he spent $9.99 on something red, but remember that you must honor yourself to God, for He shows you his love all year round.