Thursday 5 January 2012

Mystery of marriage

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:23 ESV)
This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:23 NIV)
The mystery [of marriage] is this: God did not create the union of Christ and the church after the pattern of human marriage - just the reverse! He created human marriage on the pattern of Christ's relation to the church.  - p213, from Desiring God by John Piper 


I love my wife, but I am not always the godly husband I am called to be. Whether I feel good about myself as a husband or not, how glorious, humbling, and encouraging this mystery is.


O, Lord, be gracious to me, and empower me to love her like Christ does the church.

Foundation for building a tolerant loving society

Read this great article by Phillip Jensen: Britain is changing. Will Australia?

I thought for some time that discrimination against Christians we observe around the world will come to this country, Australia, soon, well, if it isn't already here.
Various European countries, although their heritage was rich in christianity, with the wayward political-correctness and confused multiculturalism, have lost what it takes to encourage tolerance and fight discrimination. And such discrimination against christians led me to suspect it will soon come to Australia, another country rich in Christian heritage, but rampantly secularised.

Perhaps, I have been lagging behind.
Phillip Jensen argues that Britain is changing in the way they think about religion and the way they want to, or need to build their society and culture. Perhaps they are finally waking up from their moral sleep that was caused by secularism. And, if his observations and predictions are going to be accurate, Britain just might be able to establish a cohesive and tolerant society we all want.

But the question remains, as Phillip posed. Will Australia regain their religious and moral footing in Christianity? Will the people who lead the public opinions understand and embrace the truth uttered by Mr. David Cameron, the current British Prime Minister:
"Those who say being a Christian country is doing down other faiths... simply don't understand that it is easier for people to believe and practise other faiths when Britain (in our case, Australia, of course) has confidence in its Christian identity."
Christian faith and truth lay the most solid foundation for any nation to allow its people to believe and practice their faiths whatever they be. Granted, "christian countries" throughout the history have not always allowed its people to do so, but neither have countries of other faiths. But when we actually delve into the teachings of these various faiths, you will agree that christianity does provide the foundation, the most solid foundation for building a society that is loving and accommodating.

This kind of foundation is even more acutely needed in a country like Australia where it has so much to gain from its Christian heritage already and has so much to lose if severed from it.