Marriage Still Matters

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” -Genesis 2:24

Last week, Jason McGuire, president of New Yorker’s Family Research Foundation, posted a social media message on the occasion of he and Mrs. McGuire’s wedding anniversary. The post drew a significant response. He posted a picture from their wedding day with the following:

“So, we did a thing. It was 27 years ago, but still, we did a thing. If I could go back, I’d still do the thing. People tell you that doing a thing like this doesn’t matter. Love is all that does. Not true. I love this woman more than anything else in life, even more than my own life. Still, the thing matters. Standing before our friends and family, taking our vows, exchanging rings, it mattered. She can go through life knowing that no matter what, I will be there for her. I go through life knowing that when everything else seems broken, there is still us. There are no escape hatches or exit clauses. The thing matters. It roots us. It reminds us that there is something bigger than just the sum of our two parts. On that day, we chose each other over self. The two became one. So, use the word. Embrace it. Strengthen it. Encourage it. Celebrate it. Marriage matters.”

Responses flew in from around the country via Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). The simple post resonated with people in Arizona, California, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee, Maryland, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Even national organizations such as Family Research Council and Christian Employers Alliance were liking the post. One woman said that she shared it with her son who has recently reconnected with a former girlfriend who she described as his “one true love.” She used this post to encourage them to stop dithering and get married.

So, what can we take from this? There is a reason why such a simple post drew such a response. Marriage is written into our nature. It is part of a divine design that the Creator has for His creation. While marriage has unquestionably taken some hits over the last few decades, the culture still looks with longing at those who enjoy marital bliss. People want to know that marriage can still work and that it is worth the work. The truth is that the family is the greatest means of human flourishing the world has ever known. However, our present culture needs to see more of it modeled in healthy ways. Marriage is a beautiful union that a loving God has given to the world He loves. Let us not keep it to ourselves, but amplify the message that marriage matters.