It has been a busy summer. I've already had three trips varying between 5 and 12 days long. Two of these came back to back, where I had only about 36 hours at home between the two. Needless to say, it's been a challenge to keep things flowing on here. I keep thinking that things will slow down soon, but I'm also always prepared for the unexpected to pop up at any time.
This past week, I was gone again. This time, the trip revolved around a wedding. My wife's brother got married, and as I watched the wedding ceremony, I had a few thoughts that I thought would be worth putting into words.
First of all, from all outward appearances, marriage seems to be a very tenuous thing. Sure, the ceremony is nice, but I think we humans really like it when we can "see" something happen. Yes, we watch the man and the woman exchange vows and rings. We see them make their promises, and we see the witnesses standing with them. But it isn't like we suddenly see some kind of connection light up between the two. And that's why I say that marriage seems like a somewhat vague, tenuous thing.
We see that in our society more and more as people disregard marriage, or as they make a mockery of marriage. It sure doesn't seem to be binding, and we've misused the vows so much that the phrase "til death do us part" doesn't really seem to carry any meaning anymore. And some of this simply must come about because we don't "see" the connection that God creates in the marriage ceremony and vows.
I found myself wondering what the spiritual reality "looks" like when a man and a woman are joined in marriage. Sure, we don't "see" it here, at least not in a physical manner. But what does it look like from God's eyes when a man and a woman are joined in marriage? I would dare say that, when we "see" that reality from the other side, we're going to marvel at the strength of what God has joined together, and we'll rejoice in all of those who take such vows seriously while they don't "see" that connection in this life.
In the end, we may or may not "see" the connection of marriage in this life, or in the next. But what we will see is the connection of Jesus to His Church. That's the picture of wedding and marriage that will endure for eternity, and in the end, that's the only one that matters. And we won't just see it, we will live it and experience it as we live together with our God in His kingdom forever and ever.
This past week, I was gone again. This time, the trip revolved around a wedding. My wife's brother got married, and as I watched the wedding ceremony, I had a few thoughts that I thought would be worth putting into words.
First of all, from all outward appearances, marriage seems to be a very tenuous thing. Sure, the ceremony is nice, but I think we humans really like it when we can "see" something happen. Yes, we watch the man and the woman exchange vows and rings. We see them make their promises, and we see the witnesses standing with them. But it isn't like we suddenly see some kind of connection light up between the two. And that's why I say that marriage seems like a somewhat vague, tenuous thing.
We see that in our society more and more as people disregard marriage, or as they make a mockery of marriage. It sure doesn't seem to be binding, and we've misused the vows so much that the phrase "til death do us part" doesn't really seem to carry any meaning anymore. And some of this simply must come about because we don't "see" the connection that God creates in the marriage ceremony and vows.
I found myself wondering what the spiritual reality "looks" like when a man and a woman are joined in marriage. Sure, we don't "see" it here, at least not in a physical manner. But what does it look like from God's eyes when a man and a woman are joined in marriage? I would dare say that, when we "see" that reality from the other side, we're going to marvel at the strength of what God has joined together, and we'll rejoice in all of those who take such vows seriously while they don't "see" that connection in this life.
In the end, we may or may not "see" the connection of marriage in this life, or in the next. But what we will see is the connection of Jesus to His Church. That's the picture of wedding and marriage that will endure for eternity, and in the end, that's the only one that matters. And we won't just see it, we will live it and experience it as we live together with our God in His kingdom forever and ever.
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