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| The Song of Solomon, 4:1-5 |
"But from the beginning of creation, 'God made them male and female.' Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." - Jesus (Mark 10:6-9)
This will be my 50th post on Ruminations! I thought I would use it to talk about a pet project of mine that I've had in mind for some time, ever since the "Marriage Gets Mangled" post last December. One evening around bedtime during the last week of 2010, I was re-reading the TIME Magazine article and contemplating what I would have said, if I was given an opportunity to write an article in response. I was also thinking about couples that I had seen or known who had strong, loving marriages that had lasted and flourished over time while others had crumbled. And then an idea occurred to me - why not talk to each of these couples and get their perspective on marriage, including their response to TIME's report on the shift in attitude of the culture around us?
And so the idea for the Redeeming Marriage Project was born.
If things go according to plan over the course of the next few months, I plan to talk to some of the couples that I currently know whose marriages are the antithesis of the status quo of the social mirror described by TIME. Hopefully, I will be able to interview them, and maybe even get video recordings of our talks. I want to write a blog post about each couple to introduce them, and post the associated video clips of my talks with them here. For me, this undertaking is more than just an interesting pet project to occupy my evenings or weekends, or take up real estate on Ruminations.
I'm hoping that through the people I talk to, their perspectives, insights, and advice, those (including me) who get to know their stories through this blog will have hope and realize that:
And so the idea for the Redeeming Marriage Project was born.
If things go according to plan over the course of the next few months, I plan to talk to some of the couples that I currently know whose marriages are the antithesis of the status quo of the social mirror described by TIME. Hopefully, I will be able to interview them, and maybe even get video recordings of our talks. I want to write a blog post about each couple to introduce them, and post the associated video clips of my talks with them here. For me, this undertaking is more than just an interesting pet project to occupy my evenings or weekends, or take up real estate on Ruminations.
I'm hoping that through the people I talk to, their perspectives, insights, and advice, those (including me) who get to know their stories through this blog will have hope and realize that:
- As bad as the scenario may seem, all is not lost; one does not have to be resigned to the status quo.
- It is possible to find a good, solid man/woman to share one's life with in happy, enduring and flourishing marriage. "He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favour from the Lord." (Proverbs 18:22)
- A happy marriage is not predicated upon the dictates of the social and cultural mirror.
- While marriage is not a bed of roses, there is purpose and deep, abiding joy in persevering through difficult times together.
- God is as involved in this area of their lives as in any other; He has not forgotten them. "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.'" (Genesis 2:18)
- He can be trusted to hold their dreams and desires carefully; He will not drop or mangle them
- God weaves the threads of two people's lives together to create a marriage that is beautiful to both them and those who witness it
- The Wisdom Seeker
