NO SWEAT

The prophet Ezekiel was the forerunner of the Antiperspirant Movement by giving the sons of Zadok (Levitical priests) careful instructions from the Lord about having no BO, and I don’t mean BO as in Best Offer, Box Office, or Branch Opening, but in Body Oder. He wrote, “But the Levitical priests, the descendants of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary…. shall come near to me to minister to me….. When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall wear linen vestments; they shall have nothing of wool on them, while they minister at the gates of the inner court, and within. They shall have linen turbans on their heads, and linen undergarments on their loins; they shall not bind themselves with anything that causes sweat.”

Part of the reasoning must be that the priests who are “at the table of the Lord” to minister to God must be at total peace, without anxiety, performance or perspiration. This experience was to be without stress, worry or sweat. It is not a work, a chore or a burden, but is a holy joy. Worship is the holy response to a holy God.

Humans are the only creatures that have decided that in the natural we do not smell good to each other. We need help, so we do not smell normal, but perfumed and without sweat beads rolling down our rib cage. We smell like antiperspirant. It appears the Lord agrees with us or we are only agreeing with the Lord. I wonder if having BO is part of the fallen nature because I don’t know of any cows, pelicans, lizards, apes, dogs, buffaloes or anything else but people who use antiperspirants, and it’s true, some need them more than others.

(From March 2010 entry Red Mountain Journal)

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.” Jesus