The Two Will Become One | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: The Two Will Become One | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jim Scorzelli
08/13/14
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“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”

The minister’s piercing words caused Julie to glance at the empty seat beside her. Anguished thoughts swirled as the sermon faded into the back of her mind. What if he doesn’t love me anymore? Her husband, Greg, had left on a business trip earlier that morning. He had said he wanted to get a “jump” on the week-long out-of-town conference. But was that just an excuse to get away? Was the fact that he hadn’t even said goodbye a sign that their marriage was crumbling? Was he having – the thought trembled her – an affair?

* * * *

Greg surfed the radio on his way to the airport. The road trip, one of many he’d been required to make as the new east coast general manager, was the furthest thing from his mind. He could not erase his last image of Julie. She had seemed distracted, busying herself with getting ready for church. It was not something that seemed relevant in the real world, but if going to church gave her comfort, well, that was a plus.
He remembered their last conversation like a vivid movie playing over and over in his mind.

“Listen, Julie, I gotta go now. That early flight’ll put me in New York in time for the…”
“I know Greg. I know this trip is very important to you. They…they all are.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You know I’m trying to make a good impression on the company’s top brass. After a few years we’ll be in great shape financially. Isn’t that what you want? Won’t a little suffering now be worth it later?”
“I don’t care about the money. I want you, Greg. I want us to have a wonderful marriage. But it just seems like…like…”
“Like what?”
“Like we’re drifting apart. Like our marriage has come to a…a dead end. It’s just not the way it used to be.”
“Look, I don’t have time to talk about this now.” Silence thickened the air between them. Finally Greg snatched up his briefcase and opened the front door. He looked over his shoulder on the way out. “We can talk more about this when I get back.”

A soft love song from the car radio brought him back to the present. Irritated, but not sure why, he hit the Search button. The tuner flipped though several frequencies until it stopped at a strong signal. It was a talk radio show. Greg reached for the search button again but before he could touch it, the speaker said:
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”

“What?” he said aloud. Greg felt the speaker was talking directly to him. The first four words were plain enough. Of course he loved his wife. But what was this about Christ loving the church? And what did it mean that he gave himself up for her? Greg pieced together the concepts. Husbands are like Christ and wives are like the church. Christ loved the church and gave himself – gave his life - for her. Does that mean he should give himself up - dying, if necessary - for his wife in a selfless act of love?
Greg turned off the radio so he could process the conflicting thoughts raging in his mind. His work was fulfilling but demanding. He had always felt it was his responsibility to build a better future for them, and he was doing a pretty good job of it so far. But had he missed the mark? Was he satisfying himself instead of sacrificing himself? He had heard stories about Christ from Julie, but he always thought of them as allegorical, never imagining them to be actual events. He had never made the connection that the Bible is about real life – and how life should be lived – until now.

* * * *

Late Sunday afternoon, Julie quickly answered the phone when Greg’s cell number appeared on the display.
“Greg…?”
“Julie, I’ve been thinking a lot about us. When I get back, I’d like see what this church stuff is all about.”
The joy in Julie caught her breath and sent streams of tears down her cheeks. It took a moment to find her voice. “I’d like that. I love you.”
“I love you too.”

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