“Like Jesus’ stubborn love for the Church”

Giving thanks today for the gift of marriage to Joe Pagano for 29 years and reflecting on this quote by the late Rachel Held Evans. We are definitely clumsy and imperfect, but even in our stumbling and mistakes, God gives us great joy.

Marriage is not an inherently holy institution. And it cannot magically be made so by the government, by a priest, or even by the church. Rather, marriage is a relationship that is made holy, or sacramental, when it reflects the life-giving, self-sacrificing love of Jesus. All relationships and vocations—marriage, friendship, singleness, parenthood, partnership, ministry, monastic vows, adoption, neighborhoods, families, churches—give Christians the opportunity to reflect the grace and peace of the kingdom of God, however clumsily, however imperfectly. For two people to commit themselves not simply to marriage, but to a lifetime of mutual love and submission in imitation of Christ is so astounding, so mysterious, it comes close to looking like Jesus’ stubborn love for the church.
―Rachel Held Evans, Searching for Sunday: Loving, Leaving, and Finding the Church