The strong presence of Christian culture on the web causes people to view the gospel through a western popular culture lens. As Christianity and western culture collide, it seems that certain cultural values are imprinted upon Western Christians’ perception of God. In particular, there seems to be this idea that God, as a divine matchmaker, creates soulmates for people and brings them together when the timing is right. Across several digital mediums, from Instagram posts to blog articles, this idea has struck a chord with people and has led single Christians on a quest for their God-given partner.
In this blog post, Deborah shares some tips for what to do if you believe that God is telling you a particular man is going to be your husband. Although she includes a disclaimer that God doesn’t reveal everyone’s spouse to him or her, her detailed advice indicates that this practice is still around. However, when looking at the Bible, it doesn’t seem like God really cares about who people marry. Although people came together to serve a particular purpose, like Joseph and Mary uniting to bring Jesus into the world, it seems that for the most part, romantic relationships are overshadowed by the other types of relationships depicted in the text. When looking at the New Testament, the life of Jesus and his relationships with his disciples are the primary relationships woven throughout the scriptures. The idea of community is emphasized far more than marriage, yet this does not translate as clearly in modern, western Christian culture. Hollywood and secular society place fairytale endings and romance at the forefront and drive home the need to experience romantic love. It’s not surprising that this seeps into Christian ideology, but the notion of love described in the Bible is far greater than any form of romantic love. It says in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” God calls Christians to a love greater than fickle romance, but that seems to be lost on a generation desperately longing for their God-sent significant other.
These ideas about romance are often unable to hold up to the harsh reality and complexity of human relationships. Along with stories about how God revealed spouses to people, there are also several instances where a person thought God told him or her that someone was to be his or her spouse, but that person ended up with someone else. What is a person to believe about God in these moments? Believing in this idea is not creating sustainable faith practices based on a true scriptural understanding of God.
In this blog post, Deborah shares some tips for what to do if you believe that God is telling you a particular man is going to be your husband. Although she includes a disclaimer that God doesn’t reveal everyone’s spouse to him or her, her detailed advice indicates that this practice is still around. However, when looking at the Bible, it doesn’t seem like God really cares about who people marry. Although people came together to serve a particular purpose, like Joseph and Mary uniting to bring Jesus into the world, it seems that for the most part, romantic relationships are overshadowed by the other types of relationships depicted in the text. When looking at the New Testament, the life of Jesus and his relationships with his disciples are the primary relationships woven throughout the scriptures. The idea of community is emphasized far more than marriage, yet this does not translate as clearly in modern, western Christian culture. Hollywood and secular society place fairytale endings and romance at the forefront and drive home the need to experience romantic love. It’s not surprising that this seeps into Christian ideology, but the notion of love described in the Bible is far greater than any form of romantic love. It says in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” God calls Christians to a love greater than fickle romance, but that seems to be lost on a generation desperately longing for their God-sent significant other.
These ideas about romance are often unable to hold up to the harsh reality and complexity of human relationships. Along with stories about how God revealed spouses to people, there are also several instances where a person thought God told him or her that someone was to be his or her spouse, but that person ended up with someone else. What is a person to believe about God in these moments? Believing in this idea is not creating sustainable faith practices based on a true scriptural understanding of God.