Chris Explains the Facts of Life

The congregation understands that children can’t be totally sealed off a carnal world.Because it was all new to the preteens, they were encouraged to submit anonymous questions about sexuality, reproduction, and rumors they had heard but weren’t totally sure of.

When the congregation asked for volunteers to teach the workshop, Chris Walker stepped forward. He and a woman who is a career educator would present the facts of life to the ten, eleven and twelve-year old boys and girls.

The connection between sexuality and world religions goes back to the commandment in the Book of Genesis to “be fruitful and multiply.” We’ve been hardwired (and plagued) with relentless sexual impulses to meet that responsibility.

Genesis goes on to tell us that humans became aware of their nakedness and felt the need to cover themselves.

Religions proceeded to restrict sex to marriage between a man and a woman — for the sole purpose of procreation. Of course those elaborate taboos made hanky all the more panky.

The workshop Chris taught is based on the belief that children can’t be totally sealed off from the world and need to be informed to navigate it. Ethics and consent were core teachings of the curriculum. Abstinence was encouraged as a right, responsible choice during the teen years.

Ministers and members of the Lake Street Church worship together regardless of sexual identity. Same-sex marriages are celebrated. Judge not lest ye be judged.

Chris discovered the adolescents to be as innocent about matters sexual as he had once been. There were moments of embarrassment, when disbelief flashed across their faces. They giggled when first hearing terms like scrotum, vagina, nipple, ejaculation, etc.

The kids weren’t always thrilled to be there. But they would return home savvier about human sexuality; armed with new, dangerous-sounding words they could throw around at the dinner table. They had earned that right.