My body is my closest earthly friend.

It's a walking miracle!

It is turning dead things into life
all the time.

It is brand new and it is ancient.

Every molecule in my body is billions of years old

Every atom is an outburst of energy in vast emptiness
A universe compacted into a nano-metre
A pulse
A principle
A mystical power

Every molecule is a convergence of fate
A miracle of evolution
A perfect mind made manifest

Every chemical is a split second chance
A by-product of a cooling sun
In an expending universe
Never again to be repeated
Dropped in the path of history to combine in chemical enchantment;
Skimming, switching and re-energising other molecules;
Sparking off my assurance of living and breathing tomorrow.

I am uniquely encoded.
Crammed into my spiralling coil of DNA is
All my unrepeatable originality.
A twisting story waiting to unwind
As the one and only me encounters the one and only
World around me.
There has never been a chance of me existing before.
One unique combination of chromosomes and circumstances
Could not have happened until now.
This is my time
My space,
My life.

My body is my closest earthly friend.

A billion blood cells, never stopping or resting
Turning iron and air into art and mystery.

I am hard bone and soft tissue,
Fragile lungs and tough toenails
Endless interconnecting nerves
Making endlessly inventive bainwaves

The world's most complicated computer -
Self-replenishing, self-teaching
Learning and growing;
Miles better than any computer game
Any sound system, any TV

I am completely precious.

My body is my closest earthly friend.

Its eyes capture the world as it happens
Track through space and time and monitor all beauty and ugliness.
Its ears connect deep into my soul,
Decoding movements of air into life changing words and music.
It's mouth tastes, feels, bites and kisses.
Gives and takes, dries and waters, speaks and sings.

I touch, I taste, I sleep, I dream, I walk, I orgasm, I sweat,
I grow new life, I am remarkable
I am original. Original.

I promise you, my body that I will give you full respect.

I promise you my spirit that I will make friends with my body.

I promise you my mind that I will not let the fashion of the age devalue my amazing body.

And I will not allow my body to bring fear into my spirit.
I will not lie, or exploit or risk my body to uncertain chemical futures.

And I will not risk my children, not yet born
By inviting them into a world without parental love.
I will love my body and all that it produces.

My body is my closest earthly friend.

It is no accident, but a delight of the cosmos.
It is the promise of a unique earth
A blessing in time
A gift of eternity
A child of God.

Lord - I am here - teach me to love my own part of your creation
Show me my created self, as you see me…