Is celibacy a call to *just as much* human intimacy in family?

I taught students at the Coalition for Campus Outreach at the University of Pittsburgh about how God calls all of us to life-giving sexual stewardship.

We recognized that while vocational singleness is most often a call to give up romance, marriage, sex, and children to do other kingdom work with undivided attention, it's still a call to intimacy in family.

1. Jesus compares the celibate to Old Testament eunuchs who lived in the king's family home while serving his kingdom (Matthew 19:11-12).

2. Jesus promises 100-fold spiritual brothers, sisters, and children now in this present time to those who permanently give up spouse and children for the sake of kingdom work (Luke 18:28-30).

3. Paul recognizes that those called to vocational singleness still need human companionship by blessing an early Church form of family for celibates (1 Corinthians 7:36-38).

4. Paul recognizes a proto-convent house that provided family to widows and urges them to faithfully keep their commitments to celibacy and the community (1 Tim 5:5-15).

Every time Jesus and Paul speak of vocational singleness, they seem to recognize in some way that celibates still need human intimacy in permanent, lived-in family.

Perhaps some called to vocational singleness have an even more exceptional filling of the Holy Spirit such that they don't need as much human intimacy.

But for most celibates I know (including myself), God chooses not to magically meet our human intimacy needs. Instead, he invites us to build family with other believers.

That's why I've helped start the Nashville Family of Brothers. I need permanent, lived-in family with these men so that I can faithfully do the kingdom work God has called me to!