Marriage

Well, here I am – back for less than forty-eight hours! We had a wonderful time in both Italy and Suffolk and are grateful to the friends who provided such lavish hospitality. Tomorrow, we head off with our caravan, to Beith in Ayrshire and plan to be away until Tuesday. It’s a tough old life this de facto retirement – but somebody has to live it!! :-)

One of the more unusual items of news that I saw on my return to England was a report of a so-called ‘dog marriage’, in which two dogs (well, I suppose it would have been more accurate to refer to either two canines, or a dog and a bitch!) were taken through a ‘marriage ceremony’ in which terms such as ‘take this bone’ and ‘I now pronounce you dog and wife’ were used! Apart from the obvious ridiculousness of the ‘event’, it suggested to me that marriage is again under attack – not, this time, by the homosexual community with its ‘civil partnerships’, but by the mockery of this animal ‘relationship’ that would appear to be more for the perverse gratification of certain dog owners, than for any perceivable benefit of their pets!

“Marriage”, I stated on many occasions, “is a state of life provided and instituted by God. It has been blessed by the presence of Jesus Himself at the marriage in Cana of Galilee. In Holy Scripture it is commended as honourable in all ways, and the marriage union is seen as a symbol of the union of loyalty and love that exists between Christ and His people. It is, therefore, not to be undertaken lightly or unadvisedly, but thoughtfully and reverently, and as before God; and with due consideration of the reasons which it was given to us. It was given for the sake of the life-long companionship, help, and comfort that husband and wife ought to have of each other. It was given so that family life may continue, and that children, who are a gift from God, maybe brought up in the love and security of a stable and happy home. It was given for the welfare of human society, which can be strong and happy only where the marriage commitment is kept and honoured.”

Sadly, it seems (and official statistics would appear to confirm), too many in our contemporary culture and society have no understanding of such concepts as ‘honourable’, ‘reverence’, ‘life-long companionship’, commitment’ and, of course, ‘husband and wife’. Faithful marriage was the backbone of our society for many centuries. It is a matter of regret – and a cause for repentance – that it has been so devalued in recent decades. As a follower of Jesus, I pray that the coming General Election in the U.K. will see an increasing number of Members of Parliament who will be willing to stand up for Biblical values in our society. Let us be faithful in prayer that this might be the case.