“Let No Man Separate . . . ”

The Holy Scriptures clearly teach us that it is God’s will for a man and a woman to meet, to be united and to consecrate their union as a husband and wife. God’s consecration of this union is boldly stated right at the beginning of the Bible (Gen 2:18-25) and reinforced by the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ (Mt. 19:3-9). Needless to say God’s love instilled in the hearts of the couple not only brings them together but also gives birth to a family, which is the nucleus of a Church community. God blesses the union of a man and a woman because it is His will that they be one; because He created them and knows what is best for them, and because marriage is the ultimate expression of love, sacrifice, service and commitment for one another. The bible likens Christ’s relationship with His Church to that of a marriage between a husband and a wife. More importantly, God blessed marriage because it is only through the union of a man with his wife that life and creation continue. In a way, married couples become co-creators with God, brining forth new life.

            Today, therefore, it is not difficult to understand why marriage has been under brutal attack. For years and years, Satan through its agents and operators, which surface in different shapes and forms be it the media to Hollywood to TV programs to hypocrite politicians to fallen clergy  … etc., has portrayed marriage as an unbearable yoke, loss of personal freedom, boring lifestyle void of real fun, unrealistic expectations and most importantly an impractical concept. For years we have been exposed to these imbedded subliminal, and some times not-so-subliminal, messages in the movies, TV programs and the life of celebrities around us. If nothing, we are led to believe that marriage cannot survive the test of time, and cannot be viewed as a life-long commitment. This mentality has lowered the threshold of tolerance for each other and has targeted the essence of marriage, i.e. love in the biblical sense which is: “patient, … kind, … not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; … it does not rejoice in the wrongdoing but in the truth. It bears all things” (1 Cor 13:4-7).

            Recently, marriage had to face yet another attack, targeting its foundation as a Christian union and as a divine institution. This attack was administered through the attempts of some to “divorce” this divinely established institution from its natural and biblical context and use it as a political tool promoting hidden and anti-Christian values which target the core and fabric of Christianity and the Church of Jesus Christ. As a biblical institution, marriage can be defined only by the Bible. Socially speaking, on the other hand, there are other unions and relationships. Marriage, however, remains clearly defined as an intimate and life-long union between a man and a woman. Furthermore, the bible clearly rejects and condemns other kinds of flesh-based unions.

Under the various pressures that life naturally imposes on a married couple, such as raising a family in a non-Christian world, financial security, and career responsibilities, these external and systematic pressures can push the couple to a breaking point. That is why, it does not come as an unexpected surprise that the fastest growing social group in our society today is the “divorced singles.” It is our duty, as Christians and as a parish, to support marriage as a divine institution. More importantly, regardless of our political affiliations and personal preferences, the Bible clearly expects of us to fight these satanic attacks against Christ and His Church. I invite you to take a moment to think about what you and I can do to fight these well-plotted attacks on the foundation of the Church: the Christian family. Next time you meet or see a married friend, congratulate her and him for remaining married. More importantly, let us not be indifferent when it comes to defending our faith. Be vocal in fighting against any effort to undermine or corrupt the biblical definition of marriage.

Fr. Vahan Hovhanessian
July, 2004

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