Theological Thursday: Mike Pence and Marriage

Welcome to Theological Thursday! 

Today we are going to be talking about marriage and our vice president. I know it doesn't sound theological, but let me explain...

The left side of the political spectrum is trying to make a huge deal about our Vice President's personal convictions regarding interactions with people of the opposite sex. Twitter is on fire talking about the "ridiculous" standard that the Pences have taken. They have said that he will not have a meal alone with a woman out of respect for his wife and their marriage.  He also won't drink at an event that his wife isn't attending. It is a safeguard that they have put in place to secure and protect their marriage. 

You can read some of the responses here. As you can see, people are FREAKING OUT over it, and I can tell you why. 

In a day and age when movies and television shows glorify sex but downplay intimacy, fidelity isn't a big deal. Think for a minute about some of the most popular shows out there (ok, I quit watching TV and movies almost five years ago, so I am a little behind the times) the main shows that come to mind are Grey's Anatomy and Sex and City.  Each of these shows have a main character that knowingly has sex with a married man. In both of these shows the affair happens after the couple has broken up and they are "just friends". In both of these shows the affair destroys the aforementioned marriage, but it is totally ok because the guy ends up with girl he has an affair with and they live happily ever after. 

HELLO?!? Is anyone else seeing what is being shown as acceptable? Television, movies, Netflix, literature... it is all telling our society that marriage isn't a permanent thing. Society is being told that marriage is exchangeable. If you don't like this marriage, just cash it out and get a new one. 

That isn't how this works, y'all. 

Ephesians 5:31-33 says, " For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery- but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each of you must also love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." We are commanded to unite (some versions use the word cleave) to our spouses. We are bound to them, for the duration of our life here on Earth. We are given specific commands to adhere to in our time together. He is to love and she is to respect.  How can you cleave to your partner and follow through on the commands you have been given if you are out creating relationships and connections with someone other than your wife? 

Let me be clear. I am not talking to nonbelievers right now. I am talking to Christian couples. We cannot expect nonbelievers to act like believers. That is just foolishness. But at the same time, we are supposed to be being a light in the world. We are supposed to be living the way we were commanded to and letting our life act as a living witness of the redemptive love of Jesus Christ. 

In my mind, what Pence and his wife have in place really isn't all that radical. That should be the standard for believers. Let me ask you for a second. Are you living for Christ in this area? Is your marriage safeguarded? Maybe you aren't going out to dinner with other people, but what about at work? Are all of your relationships showing Christ's light? How about with what you are reading and watching in your free time, is it helping you to stay mentally, emotionally, and physically faithful to your commitment to God and your spouse? 

At then end of the day, we live in a fallen world. As Christians we know that Satan is very real and that he would love nothing more than to destroy (or even just damage) a strong Christian marriage because it is a living, breathing, testament to the glory of Jesus Christ. We need to build one another up in marriage and moral purity.  We need to take a note from the Pences and put things in place to secure our marriages, as far as I am concerned Mr. Pence is doing a great job of being a solid role model for men in America. I hope to see more from him in the future.