“Marriage Between God and the Church”
This is a great mystery, but I understand it to mean Christ and his church. So each husband should love his wife as much as he loves himself, and each wife should respect her husband.
Abby, our program manager, writes:
It’s wedding season!
In just a matter of a month I have been to two weddings out of the five I was invited to.
The first wedding was very lush and had every detail to it attended to. My husband and I arrived as guests of the bride and groom. I decided to take my camera with me and snapped several shots of the glowing couple and their guests.
We met a couple that was a mirror image of us, only they were based on the West coast. The food was delectable, the atmosphere was melodic and the air spoke of love. Both families rejoiced in the union of their son and daughter.
For the second wedding, my husband and I knew the groom, and he had asked us to film and photograph the event for them. We did so as a gift to the bride and groom.
It’s a totally different experience to work a wedding, than to attend a wedding … literally, it’s night and day. We hustled, we ran, we got dirty.
Unfortunately the night before it was pouring rain and the wedding was outside. It made for a muddy procession.
All the same, it was magical. Seeing the bride transform from an ordinary pretty girl to a vision of absolute beauty was really a treat.
As I snapped away toward the end of the evening, my husband and I couldn’t help but think of our own wedding and just how in its truest form it represents God and His beloved, the church.
There is something magical, whimsical, honest and endearing about the love that God has for us as a unit, but when we unite with Him and hold fast to His Word, it’s something utterly powerful. Here’s to an amazing spring!
Please note that the views expressed in this story are not necessarily the views of the American Bible Society. Story posted on May 21st, 2008 and filed under Team Corner, God's Love, Your Stories, Verses.
May 21st, 2008 at 10:32 am
Dear Abby, Program Manager:
I cannot agree with you more: “There is something magical, whimsical, honest and endearing about the love that God has for us as a unit, but when we unite with Him and hold fast to His Word, it’s something utterly powerful.”
What is even a greater and more profound truth is that the Eternal Son of God, the Redeemer takes us into a connection with Himself, and an unconquering affection and love superior to even that which exists in the marriage relations.
Truly, marriage is an important, a holy, noble, pure institution, altogether worthy of God.
But, what love can a husband or wife exceed this–What did not Christ endure to redeem the Church?
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers… will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).
The happiness of society depends on domestic peace and joy. We are here to love as Christ loves the Church.
We need the little acts of gentle kindness in life everywhere, always, eminently in the marriage relation returning each morning, beaming in the eye, and dwelling in the heart through the livelong day….
Thank you.
May GOD ALL MIGHTY Bless you and yours, today and everyday;
GODSPEED, always and forevermore!
Mary Sun..