Episode #1: 1 Christopher - Chapter 1 - Matters of Shame

Jan,15 2026

<-#42: 2 Christopher Chapter 21 - Vaccines#2: 1 Christopher 2 - Prayers, drought and work ->

Concerning the meeting in the field and the matter of shame

1:1

In the days when I was young and restless,

and sought wisdom where men said it did not dwell,

I came upon a field at the edge of the village.

1:2

And there I saw a man standing among the grasses,

working the soil with his hands,

and he wore nothing upon his body.

1:3

I turned my face away at first,

for I had been taught that such a sight was improper,

and my heart was uneasy.

1:4

Yet the man did not hide himself,

nor did he look upon me with defiance or pride,

but greeted me as one greets a neighbor.

1:5

And I said to him,

"Are you not ashamed to stand thus before another?"

1:6

He set aside his work and answered gently,

"Tell me first what you mean by shame."

1:7

And I said,

"That which comes upon a man when he is seen as he ought not to be."

1:8

Then he smiled, not in mockery but in patience,

and said,

"Shame came before clothing, not after it."

1:9

"For when man first feared his own being,

he sought to cover it.

And from that fear grew many sins."

1:10

"Shame teaches a man to hide,

and hiding teaches him to lie,

and lying teaches him to forget God."

1:11

"But when a man is not ashamed of what God has made,

he has little reason to sin against it."

1:12

I said to him,

"Then do you reject clothing altogether?"

1:13

And he answered,

"No more than I reject fire or shelter.

We speak here of needs, not of shame."

1:14

"For when I am cold, I warm myself.

When I am wounded, I bind myself.

I answer my needs, but I do not answer my shame."

1:15

"And what is worn only to quiet shame

is often an unnecessary burden,

and a waste of what the earth must give."

1:16

Then I looked upon him again,

and I saw no disorder in his manner,

nor lust in his speech,

nor pride in his bearing.

1:17

And I perceived that his life was ruled not by impulse,

but by restraint and care.

1:18

So I understood that morality does not dwell in coverings,

but in intention;

not in what is hidden,

but in what is honored.

1:19

And I said in my heart,

"This man is not lawless,

but free from a law I had mistaken for God's."

1:20

Thus was my first meeting with Christopher,

and I learned that wisdom may stand unclothed

and yet leave the soul undisturbed.

<-#42: 2 Christopher Chapter 21 - Vaccines#2: 1 Christopher 2 - Prayers, drought and work ->