Renewing, Refreshing

Today I remembered why I like being alive.

first love... today i remembered why i love jesus.

Soul Meets Body

...Or does it?

I've been dancing around the discussion on the relation of the spiritual/nonphysical to the physical/nonspiritual recently, and I've become quite intrigued. However, I don't know where to start. Do I ever?

I'll will start with the body because I know it best. Actually, I take that back. I thought for a few moments and realized I know and understand my soul much better than I understand the intricicies of my body. Whitman says, "I sing the body electric.../And if the body does not do fully as much as the soul?/ And if the body were not the soul, what is the soul?" and "O I say these are not the parts and poems of the body only, but of the soul, /O I say now these are the soul!" I am inclined to disagree with Whitman, however, I cannot convince myself that my body is not sacred, perfectly and uniquely designed (personalized fingerprints, of all things!). If the body is merely a vessel for the expression of a soul, then why have a body? Why should the soul be attatched to a physical counterpart? (Or is it attatched at all? I'd like to say yes, but how would I know? ;)) The only reason I can come up with so far for the necessity of the physical body is the expression of the soul and the promotion of its growth.

What is a soul?