Romance seems to permeate every culture in some way. It’s as old as civilization itself. It’s something people all over the world celebrate and enjoy. Many of the world’s great stories, like Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” center on romance. Romantic books and films profusely abound, not to mention that it consumes so much of our conversation. Why do we love it so much?
Some might argue that our species needed to reproduce, and in order to do so, men and women – the necessary components of reproduction – became attracted to each other.
I see it differently. As a Christian, I believe romance has been blooming in the heart of mankind since the day God made a wife for Adam. A mutual desire for each other was instilled in them, and that desire between the genders hasn’t died off since. Digging for a profounder meaning, however, I believe that the purpose of the relationships people have with each other is to reflect our relationship with God.
Ephesians 5:22-30 spells out what a healthy marriage relationship looks like – wives choosing to submit to their husbands and husbands loving their wives enough to die for them. The reason behind this relationship is given in verse 32: “This mystery is profound, and I am saying it refers to Christ and the church.”
The passage is saying the union in marriage pictures that which is between Jesus Christ and all believers. The earthly relationship depicts a greater one. That’s the ultimate reason romance appeals to us so much. As fulfilling as it can be to have a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife, that relationship is intended to mirror the relationship between Jesus and his followers – a greater, far more fulfilling relationship.
This opinion is not silent in the pulpits. Honing in on the intimacy of marriage, the Rev. Voddie Baucham describes the symbolism found there, as unexpected and unlikely as it may seem.
“I don’t think we think enough of sex,” Baucham said. “I didn’t say I don’t think we think of sex enough – that’s not our problem. But we don’t think enough of sex. Marriage is this living, breathing picture of the relationship between Christ and his church.”
Referring to the joy at the coming of the Lord, Baucham said, “The sexual union between a man and his wife is a living, breathing, awe-inspiring expression of the ecstasy that the church awaits.”
This article probably turned out differently than you expected. That’s OK with me. I hope you don’t mind surprises, but I want you to enjoy your special other and to remember why that relationship exists to begin with.
