May 8 - Marriage

"Haven't you read, [Jesus] replied, that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'?  So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.  Matthew 19:4-6

I desire to reach people of every persuasion...liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican, churched and unchurched...with the message of God's love extended to us through His Son, Jesus Christ. I have avoided speaking out on political issues.  But there are times when a political issue is also a moral and spiritual issue that I need to take a stand on.

The marriage ammendment that is now facing my beloved state of North Carolina is such an issue. I support an amendment to our constitution that would define marriage exclusively as the union of a man and a woman for the following reasons:

Biblically: Marriage is not a "right." It is the very first institution ordained by God, and applies to all humanity, not just Jews and Christians. It was emphatically reconfirmed by Jesus in the New Testament. It is not up for redefinition from God's perspective.

Spiritually: Because we live in such perilous, unstable times economically, environmentally, politically, globally, racially and even religiously, we need the security that comes from God's protection and blessing.  This is not the time to defy Him by flaunting an institution He has clearly ordained, thus provoking His displeasure.

Practically: Marriage is the cornerstone of a civil and just society, and the bedrock of any healthy civilization. It creates a framework within which people can grow and prosper, and it provides the only natural means of procreation. It is in the vital best interests of any society to preserve it for the overall health, stability, and prosperity of it's people.

Personally: My understanding of marriage was shaped by the tender relationship I witnessed between Daddy and Mother, who were happily married for 64 years. One of the most precious things to me is that at the end of Mother's life, when she was struggling day by day, Daddy's love for her seemed to grow stronger. Their legacy of love includes five children, 19 grandchildren and over forty great-grandchildren - all who look to their relationship as a flesh and blood example of what marriage was designed by God to be.

Please join me in praying that God's institution of marriage would be preserved and protected in North Carolina...for our own good.