purity

The Islamic society is running a stall at uni at the moment, and on Monday I spoke to someone at the stall. I offered him a handshake when we were introducing ourselves, which he politely refused. He told me that Islam does not allow such physical contact with people of the opposite sex, but he also thanked me and said that he appreciated the gesture. We proceeded to compare our faiths, and he continued to evangelise, etc. Although by no means do I agree with this man's beliefs, I respected the way he refused to let his beliefs succumb to culture.

Declining a handshake seems rather an extreme, but it does make you think: what has become of purity in the Christianity that we live? Is it something that we prize, or something that we view as a hindrance? Do we really understand its value?

Purity is of course something that encompasses more than rules of physical contact. Purity is an attitude that abhors all sin in general. Purity calls for holiness in every aspect of life - anything less than the absolute purity we have in Jesus prevents us from entering into the presence of the one holy God. According to scripture, the High Priest had to purify himself with an extensive procedure of cleansing before entering the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifices for the people, an occasion that only occurred once a year. If he made the slightest mistake in these preparation rituals, or neglected the smallest detail, he would be struck dead in the presence of God. We don't seem to realise any more, that impurity can cause separation from God to such an extent. It is the pure who will see God, according to the Beatitudes. Can we afford to let anything get in the way of our coming into the presence of God?