The Shame of Nakedness

The recent news about the mistreatment of an army soldier at the hands of his jailers causes us to consider our country's increasing use of forced nudity as a method of humiliation and abuse of soldiers, prisoners, and even ordinary citizens.

The Scriptures tell us that the shame of nakedness was caused by rebellion against God's commandment by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

All through Scripture, we are commanded to clothe the naked out of compassion toward them. Repeatedly, God instructs the righteous man to show such pity.

When our nation was founded, a new humaneness in warfare was brought in by George Washington, who required of American soldiers the highest humanity in the treatment of enemy POWs. America led in the promulgation of ever restrictive requirements for humane treatment.

But in the last decade, our nation's leaders have explicitly ordered the use of compelled nakedness for the purpose of humiliation and degradation.

Now, ordinary citizens are humiliated by law enforcement, and travelers have been forced to submit to naked searches at our airports.

Because of our nation's decadence, we have become comfortable with nakedness and lewdness. No wonder our government feels free to humiliate by force in this way.

Our Lord Jesus took upon Himself the shame of nakedness when He hung upon the cross in our place. He was made sin for us, and He suffered the shame of nakedness that is the consequence of sin.

By His death, He has taken away our sin and our shame, and clothed His people with garments of righteousness! He endured great shame to save us. The joy set before Him of saving His people drove Him to discount that shame for us!