Now we need to give our brothers a break here by understanding who they are and how they work.
When you walk into a college men’s dorm room, what do you find? Usually, you’ll find guys playing video games, watching sports, but never really ‘talking’. Why is that? Men are visual beings. They can create beauty women can’t – Van Gogh, Michelangelo, some of the famous artists have created timeless masterpieces that people travel the world to see. Visual purity is a major issue for men. When women wear immodest clothing, it can be easy for men to think of her in an impure way. In our society today, sex is overly used – movies, advertizing, etc. Their visual purity is attacked all the time. Men are also competitive and love winning. When men talk, they usually talk about a subject or object. Usually, men speak literally. There is no hidden meaning in what they say. You know when you are sitting there with a guy and you ask, “What are you thinking about?,” and he says, “Nothing”? He literally may be thinking of NOTHING! Guys’ brains need a break from interactions with others. Why do you think there are video games, ESPN, etc? It’s simple leisurely activity to give their brains a rest. I am not saying they are stupid because they are not. They are just wired differently than us. They are a complete mystery, but would you rather have them figured out? Would that be fun? I don’t think so. The mystery is there to lead us into deeper communion with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ.
Now let’s compare. When you walk into a women’s dorm room, what do you find? Either it’s empty because they are all out making plans for the night, or you find a gaggle of girls talking in the living room, TV could be on, but no one is really paying too much attention to it. What are they talking about? You name it, who’s dating who, family, struggles with classes, something awesome that happened that day. The majority of the time we are talking about the relationships that surround our lives. We, as women, are relational beings. Why do you think women always go in groups to the bathroom?
Now that we understand a little bit of the differences between the two sexes, let’s focus on us and our hearts. Edith Stein once said, ‘Emotions occupy the center of her being.’ To understand emotional chastity, you must understand an important principle.
“Your body follows where your heart tends to go. Keeping your heart pure will allow and help you keep your body and mind pure.”
Jenne
