Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’” vs. 18
Genesis 2:18-24
The second of the two Hebrew creation stories paints a picture of God that is dear to our hearts. Here we see the Divine Presence, not as the transcendent creator of all things, but as a down-to-earth God who gives to humanity the breath of life. And more than that, those ancient Hebrews believed that not only are we created in the image of God, we’re also created for community. God does not want us to be alone!
This observation has rung true for human beings since the beginning. While some are quite happy and content to live without a partner, many more of us crave companionship. For the most part this has meant that men and women were joined together in marriage relationships of one kind or another. For many centuries this system was guided and guarded by patriarchal tendencies that encouraged male domination. Only in recent years have women begun to assert themselves and urge a more egalitarian approach to marriage and relationships. For some this has also included a move toward the acceptance of same-sex marriage. Obviously these changes have sparked reactions–it can be threatening when centuries old practices are questioned. Jesus taught his followers to beware of following human traditions and told them to embrace the law of love. And that’s the bottom line–models of marriage are always evolving–what really counts is the presence of self-giving love.
Thought for the Day: How have my attitudes about marriage changed?
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