Guest Post by Elizabeth Barros
Guest Spot By Elizabeth de Barros
Like handblown glass,
delicate in construction but strong in substance, the marriage covenant is a
cup that holds the vintage of years gone by, blessed and preserved by God.
While love is as strong
as death, marriage is fragile if only for the fact that two fallen people, a
man and a woman brought together as one, commit to an exclusive bond for the
rest of their days, come what may. Knowing that a covenant designed by God has
His backing brings much-needed assurance.
But no marriage is unlike
the first, where the culprit of sin creeps in to take its toll. The effects of
Adam and Eve’s fall were felt at close range — firstborn son murdered the
second-born, with God presiding as Witness and Judge. I imagine that as parents,
partners, and lovers, they fell into each other’s arms that night searching for
consolation from an unbearable wound, aware that bitter herbs
change the taste of things.
What keeps a marriage? Sustains it through life’s cares, trials, disappointments, and woes? Certainly not the froth left over from an elaborate wedding day. As exciting and wonderful the fanfare, formal attire, rich foods, lavish gifts, and honeymoon can be, eventually, helium dissipates, styles change, china breaks and pictures fade. Something stronger is needed when storm clouds gather.
Apart from inviting
family and friends to witness the ceremony and share in the festivities, what
compels a man and a woman to stand before a crowd and declare that they will promise
to stay together “…to have and
to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until
death do us part”?
The nearness of God.
But our culture trends
toward having the greater focus be on the wedding event — the more outlandish
the better — a raucous party with all the trappings. Whether the bride and
groom are suspended from bungee cords, or the ceremony is staged in the Nairobi
desert or videotaped underwater, it’s all but forgotten that when vows are
exchanged, God is the unseen Officiate. Even Christians need reminding of this.
In a day when selfishness and “freedom of choice” permeates our thinking on
every level, we’re not immune to being lured away, abandoning all reason for
the sake of pleasure and the pursuit of happiness.
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