“Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he that does the will of my Father who is in the heavens” - Mt. 7:21
SALVE ....
How do we do this? We will start each blog with a historical introduction and then look at the lessons we can learn from that. Then we will apply the relevant factors from the biblical concepts of Mastery and slavery to our current ideas about consensual slavery; isn’t that sexy? WWMD; what would master do …
Heaven and its Kingdom
In Christianity today not much is spoken about the Kingdom anymore, as by lack of compelling evidence, faith is on retreat and it is all about spirituality now. But it was nothing like that when Christianity was still in its early days. Matthew speaks about the Kingdom of Heaven and in the other canonical gospels it is called ‘Kingdom of God’. Behind both phrases lies the expectation of the Jewish people of that time. Starting from their sacred texts they regarded themselves as God chosen people. This did not necessarily made them a better people – they did sin, remember - but they had their place where they were safe and being blessed. This could in a way be regarded as a virtual realm ‘the covenant’, but there was also the issue with the temple, Jerusalem and the land, which is still an issue in our time.
Contrary to what many believe, the hope and the expectation of the Jews in Jesus time was a rather down to earth business and not at all directed at heaven or the way to heaven. It was not about getting out, but rather to stay within ‘the covenant’ where they were safely set apart (sanctified). When they had a problem, they did not expect to go to hell, but went to the temple for a purifying ritual and then they were fine and blessed again. So what does the Kingdom of Heaven mean?
Originally the idea was that God would be their God and they would be his people. It was the idea of God being intimately present among his chosen flock. But somehow those called to be the light of the nations were shining less and less bright, so the people developed messianic ideas about a leader that would free the land from the occupying Greek and Roman powers, turn the hearts of his people to their Lord and God and would start the Kingdom of the age to come; a reign of peace and justice that would govern all the world. As such, Jesus and the apostles preached a typical Jewish apocalyptical message. And the proclaimed King, was as such crucified by the Romans that accepted no King or Savior but Caesar, the demi-God.
When obviously after Christ death the Kingdom did not come, his followers distinguished between the literal Kingdom (that would come later) and the spiritual Kingdom (of the heart). The quality of the members of that Kingdom (the entrance was through baptism) was not found in the recognition of the King (in heaven), but in the obedience to his will. In this sense it was a shift in attitude, from outer acknowledgment, rituals and laws, to inner repentance, obedience and devotion. Basically this was a change from letter (of the law) to the spirit (of life). Undoubtedly the good observer will see that the latter does not exclude the former. In this sense, it was a continuation of the old, only refreshed and refocused. After all, it was still their Lord and Master trying to evolve in their relationship, by renewing the covenant so old promises could be seen in a new light.
It is this particular notion of dual tension between higher and lower, inner and outer, realized and to come that I regard to contain a fruitful lesson for the relation of Master and slave in the context of consensual BDSM. We will look at this now.
Slave by contract, or slave by devotion?
Everything in nature fits into some kind of natural order. There is no need to explain here how this functions, but it may be clear that all animals have their environment they thrive in: birds live in the air, fish in the water and man on the face of the earth. In many ways natural law, DNA, roles in society and our behaviour; they form, mould and make us to the individuals we are.
It is similar when being a slave or a Master. We have certain urges, we have expectations, experience and goals. But if it works out, is not merely a matter of following rules, or technique, which can be seen as the outer form of consensual slavery, but it is also a matter of the heart, of having the proper spirit. Just like vanilla relationships, BDSM relationships need the proper environment. And just like we have seen with the literal and spiritual Kingdom, there is the expressed and the perceived realm of dominion. This is the difference to bow down to the Masters whip and to submit to the Masters essence and thus take his whip. Yet, for this to work it requires time, dedication and devotion from all partners.
It can be seen in the BDSM scene that some relations are short and others much longer. We have to accept that things sometimes simply do not work the way we hoped for. Then it is better to let it be and part as friend – and perhaps still be occasional play partners, for good old time’s sake. Yet, as seen in the story in Matthew, the realm where the Master rules, the realm of his dominion, is not just a matter of simply following a couple rules. Of course, the slave that keeps the ‘ten commandments’ of his master, is a blessed slave; not only is his Master satisfied, but also the slave has found his proper functionality. But I think there is much more to be gained.
What’s in it for us today? What is the kinky lesson?
As with the Scriptural Kingdom - with literal rules on earth - and the heavenly Kingdom - with spiritual excellence and the adoption as sons, as children of God - we find in any BDSM relationship two similar elements. These are the outer power exchange that creates our positions as top and bottom as well as the erotic tension between us. And the inner need that is sought to be put to expression, the co-dependency and the great rush of feelings that we share together because we trust and care and perhaps even love.
Obedience is nice, but all Masters know the kind of obedience that is only formal, or out of routine. Which is perfectly fine of course. We cannot possibly always have the perfect play, but when we are on our way to heaven, there is also the way of the hearth. Either as a form of self-expression, or as a form or revere or love, or simply all of that. This brings us to the second principle:
#02 – Knowing and loving to do the will of your Master is the inner treasure.
Have we previously seen that doing the will of the Master is where slaves are for; we now see that doing this will with zeal is an inner quality that might greatly add to the success of any Master-slave relationship. Notice that the motivations for the dedication can be numerous; you could be a weak person, or trying to prove yourself something. You could be an admirer of your Master, or his lover. Perhaps you are just an eager student or simply very needy, or expect to gain reputation. You name it.
For sure, some of these are inner qualities too, concentrated around deep emotions like respect, love, intimacy, admiration and friendship. But doing the will of your Master because you wish so, is a true strength on itself and for certain a proof that you are made out of the real stuff – if such a thing does exist.
Even when most people regard obedience and discipline the main characteristics of a Master-slave relationship - and they are of course very prominent and noticeable – it is however the urge to control and the need to serve that denote for the underlying inner inspirations.
It is a lie to think that by simple obedience a Master can be fully pleased. It will be nice and convenient, it will be fun and sexy, but without a real exchange of intimacy, without the full acceptance of one true place in the order of things – and that order can be 24/7, or twice per year a midweek – there is no magic. Then after all, a Master is a sensitive being too. He is brutal perhaps - if this is necessary - and tender hearted too - when his bottom has exceeded itself - but at the end the Master does not need a robot, but a real life relationship with slaves from flesh and blood.
Thus, slave if this word speaks to your heart, then again, devote yourself to your Master and seek to do his will and bring him joy with whom you are.
Monsignor C. Cameloni
