Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Tuesday February 24, 2010

The wife of my youth, known in these circles as The Great Blonde spent over three years attempting to prepare me for the domestication ritual commonly called marriage and lo these forty five and one half years has worked diligently on domesticating me. She seldom experiences the rush that comes with success in this endeavor noble though it be.

The other day she was working hard on building a corner from whence I could not escape and when she came off with the following, I knew she had done some serious homework. Looking me dead in the eye she spouted off the following:

"Larry, marriage is not a love affair. A love affair is a totally different thing. A marriage is a commitment to that which you are. That person is literally your other half. And you and the other are one. A love affair isn't that. That is a relationship of pleasure, and when it gets to be unpleasurable , it's off. But a marriage is a life commitment, and a life commitment means the prime concern of your life. If marriage is not the prime concern, you are not married."

Maintaining the "look" she became quiet as if to say, "So there. It's your move, the ball is in your court, you got your pitch, now whatever will you do with it big boy?" All this mind you, with but a simple "look."

I asked for divine wisdom and the Lord God of heaven stirred my memory and while I did not win the day, no man ever does, I did manage to deflect the blow and suffered only flesh wounds. I thought my reply was at least noteworthy:

"I love it when your lower lip quivers with the arcane knowledge that you have again, showcased my Planter's Peanut sized brain. But the statement of marriage which you just rattled off perfectly is a quote from Joseph Campbell, and why on earth are you reading Campbell? I was going to use his statement for a program."

Needless to say, over the next few days in ways subtle and not so subtle I was led by the Lord to write on the subject of marriage. I know a lot about marriage, but according to a certain long married woman, not enough to make much difference. I do know when to brag on a girl from Childs, Maryland who reads Joseph Campbell and also is tormentingly familiar with the Bible and thus can eat the meat and spit out the bones. She also chews up and spits out the man who sacrifices horribly for her.

Honestly, how does your marriage measure up to Campbell's definition? To Christ's?

Larry Lilly Copyright (C) 2010 Use with credit

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