In an age of cynicism and criticism, where failure is expected, and society waits hoping for better days, a young couple make their commitment to each other in the most public manner possible. In front of roughly 2 billion people around the world. But what of the institution of marriage? Is it relevant today? Do we need it? Many feel that we don’t. Yet here is a young couple, who are really stating their confidence in each other, and committing to their promises, and making a stand for the institution of marriage. This takes great courage, and they are a living example of what courage means in a world so ready to expect failure.
Love is an overused word, usually referring to some emotional state that is fleeting and transitory. But what if we saw love as something much deeper than how another person “makes you feel”? What if there was a spiritual basis for love.
Mary Baker Eddy explores the concept of marriage and the spiritual nature of love for an entire chapter in her seminal work, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.” She was no stranger to the difficulties, challenges and sadnesses that happen after the “I do” has been said. She was widowed at an early age, whilst carrying her first born son. Later, her second marriage ended in divorce after her husband left her for another woman. She married for the third time, and was again widowed after not too many years. Yet, she firmly believed in the institution of marriage and devoted time and energy to write about it.
I invite you to explore Mrs. Eddy’s chapter on marriage. You can find it online at
http://www.spirituality.com/science-and-health/index.jhtml
You can explore it, and maybe buy a copy. It is fresh and relevant to all of the problems that we face today.
Let us all spend a moment to bless this young couple in their courageous stand for a rowing and truer sense of love.
For more commentary on this you can also read this interesting article by Archbishop John Sentamu. here
