Only the beginning

Rather than "the end", getting married is only "the beginning" of a great adventure. And yet, modern culture says otherwise. In her brief review of the movie, Suzanne Hadley discusses the recent movie "The Last Kiss" in Marry Her? But What About that Girl over There?

Television and movies compound the problem [lack of motivation to get married by The Twenty Somethings], portraying marriage as boring, enslaving, difficult and dreary. No wonder our generation is marriage-resistant. When Michael realizes marrying his girlfriend and establishing a home with her is inevitable, he says, "This is it. This is the end." Media fairly screams: "Marriage isn't worth it. Why bother?"

However, from her point and view and my own, marriage is something to strive for and be proud of. It is far, far from being culturally insignificant, and even in the toughest time, it represents some of the best things God has given us.

Here are some excerpted ideas about marriage from Hadley’s article:

"It is not good for the man to be alone" (Gen. 2:18). Not only is this a statement uttered by God at the inauguration of humanity, but it is something I feel daily on a personal level. God did not create humans to live in isolation. He designed us to long for and experience companionship and love. And marriage was the first context — apart from Adam's relationship with God Himself — the Lord established to relieve loneliness.

"I will make a helper suitable for him" (Gen. 2:18). As a remedy to Adam's loneliness, God created Eve. God designed her to be Adam's helper. At a women's prayer group, I recently heard a single woman pray, "Lord, you created us to be helpmates." I was stunned by this reminder. My desires to nurture, encourage and assist were instilled by God for the purpose of being a companion and helper and are best exercised within the context of marriage.

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). Because God created woman for man, marriage is the next natural step upon leaving one's family of origin. In fact, this verse seems to indicate that a man should ideally create his own family shortly after leaving his family of origin. This is rare in today's society, where the average marrying age is over 25. But waiting 10 to 15 years opens up an unnatural window where a single is not supported by his family and does not have a companion. This limbo fosters sexual temptation, loneliness and confusion.

"Children are a gift of the LORD" (Psalm 127:3). This phrase is thrown around a lot and seems to have lost its impact. With a tolerance for abortion and a prejudice against women who choose family over career, society seems to place value only on children who are wanted and who don't impede personal success. And yet, of all the blessings God wishes to bestow on His followers, children are at the top of the list. Their value is mentioned repeatedly throughout Scripture. They bless their mothers. They are a delight to their fathers. The kingdom of God belongs to them.

No Meeting of the Minds

Interesting story on the Property Prof Blog. I must ask, rhetorically perhaps, what does this say about the attempts to define and shape a "global community"?

The Blog:

The New York Times has an article (entitled "A Banned Book Challenges a Saintly Image of Thai King") on Paul Handley's book The King Never Smiles (Yale University Press, 2006), about King Bhumibol Adulyade of Thailand. According to the article, one of Handley's central points is that the king--who has enjoyed very favorable press--has been more concerned with order than democracy.

What particularly interested me were the efforts made by the Thai government to suppress the book, including sending representatives to meet with President George Bush, with Yale University's president, and (apparently) with the director of Yale University Press. Extraordinary, particularly for a book from a university press. The press did push back the publication date (so that it would not coincide with the sixtieth anniversary of the monarch's ascension) and also permitted, apparently, Thai officials to comment on the manuscript before it was published. Both reasonable, though I should imagine, unusal concessions. (Also, I should emphasize that I am in no position at all to evaluate the merits of Handley's thesis.)

Not surprisingly, the publicity surrounding the attempt to supress its publication (and its banning in Thailand) has led to a lot of sales. This afternoon it was ranked #259 on Amazon--an astonishingly good performance for a university press book. Exciting times at YUP, no doubt, even if the king is not smiling....

My Engagement Ring!!! Wedding Date: 8/11/2007.

Going to the Sunbelt Minority Job Fair