Scripture Reflection for 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 26, 2006
by Brian
Singer-Towns
Celebrate Marriage! (Says Jesus)
This month we celebrate Valentine's Day and World Marriage Day--and this weekend the Scripture readings use marriage and a wedding feast as symbols for God's love. (Is that just an accident?) Jesus says his coming is a time of great joy -- and the image he used to help people understand that joy was a wedding feast.
Have you attended a wedding reception recently? I was in a good friend's wedding recently and it was a great time. We ate and drank, told stories, laughed, and danced until the late hours of the night. For a few hours, all was right with the world. We were brought together by God's love as it was shared by my friends in their wedding. Hopefully you have had this experience yourself!
How Do You Experience Marriage and Family?
Unfortunately, not everyone has wonderful experiences with marriage and family. Take the prophet Hosea in our Old Testament reading. God asked him to marry a temple prostitute name Gomer (yes that was her name!). And it seemed that Gomer had a problem staying faithful to Hosea. But Hosea kept taking her back and by doing this he gave the whole community an example of God's unconditional love.
It seems like marriage gets a bad rap in our time, too. We are always hearing about the high divorce rate, abused and neglected children, and dysfunctional families. I've met teens who say they aren't sure they ever want to get married because it seems so many marriages don't work out. Some have seen their own parents struggle and fail to stay together. This is very painful for everyone in the family. But this isn't the whole story.
Celebrate What's Right!
A few weekends ago my wife and I were part of a retreat with some other couples. As part of our retreat we saw a video called "Celebrate What's Right with the World." That phrase has become my new motto! Sometimes we are so focused on what's wrong with things we aren't open to seeing what's right and good. It just takes a slight change of perspective.
Take marriage and family. Yes, there are families that are struggling. But for every one of those there are families that are sharing God's love with each other and with the community they belong to. And even the families that are struggling usually have some good things happen that come out of the struggle. We just have to focus on what's right and you can see it. Jesus and Hosea were able to do that. Can we?
Life Application:
How do you celebrate "what's right with the world?"
Can you see what's right with your own family? Do you need to change your perspective a little to see the goodness that is there?
Jesus' presence in your life is a cause for great joy! Take some quiet time today to remind yourself of Jesus' love for you and be joyful!
Copyright 2006 by Brian
Singer-Towns
All rights reserved.
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