Marriage: For Love or Money?
Over the last several months the debate concerning "gay marriage"
has risen to new heights of passion and meanness. I suspect the basic reason
for this is centered around power and control issues. Those who have defined
marriage as the exclusive right of heterosexuals want to continue to control
the rules. It is a "Members (who meet the standard) Only Club".
The modern marriage is less about two people who love each other deeply
and are committed to living in a way that will enhance that love. Rather,
it is about tax breaks, exemptions, property and
legitimate sex. I wonder which scenario God is more concerned about.
We live in a world where marriage vows are usually not worth the paper
they are written on. Yet, the idea of a covenant is the total investment
of those involved. I wonder if God is more concerned
about broken promises or covenants that call on people to go deeper in their
relationship than simple vows.
Finally, I wonder from a spiritual perspective if a God who by biblical
definition is both male and female is really concerned about the gender
identity of a couple who are willing to live in covenant
with each other.After all when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment
was; in other words which commandment should be the basis of who and what
we are, his reply was, "Love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all you soul and with all your mind. This
is the first and greatest commandment and the second is like it: Love your
neighbor as yourself. All the law and prophets hang on these two commandments."
If these commandments are where it begins and ends-I believe our God, the
God of Jesus Christ, is far more interested in covenants of love regardless
of gender identification rather than traditional
marriage which does not have a hint of these two commandments.