(October 3 2010)...
My handsome cousin married his lovely new bride. It was a really beautiful & sentimental ceremony. There's something so special about seeing "two different, seperate lives-come together as one," as the minister so graciously phrased it. As I thought about it, I don't think that concept is emphasized enough.
Biblically, we are told that a man shall leave his mother and father when he finds his bride (Genesis 2:24), and Ephesians 5 discusses the significance of marriage- that it mirrors and represents Christ's relationship to his bride (us, the church). Essentially, before a man leaves his mother and father to be wed to his wife, he is his own separate individual, as well as the bride, her own individual. Once their souls cross over into the commitment of marriage...It's a beautiful joining of two souls, becoming one unit with a single purpose of honoring the Lord in submitting their lives to Him, and each other. My thoughts are so jumbled right now, as I try to really ponder and wonder about what marriage truly signifies. In fact, my thoughts about marriage are almost mystical. I'm just thankful that Christ gives us the gift of marriage- a true portion of what we will experience with him in eternity. A relationship. (Of course marriage can't be compared to the glories we'll taste and see in heaven, but it's certainly a glimpse of heaven's beauty and of His faithfulness and covenant with us). Marriage is a gift to experience while we're here on this earth. A gift of love, commitment, relationship, friendship, transparency with one another, and honor. And those who are given the gift of this experience, will hopefully hold marriage in honor among all (Hebrews 13:4).
Like my professor, Dr. Nathan Lewis once stated:
"May we as Christians 'do' marriage in a way that looks attractive and desirable to all."
