Marriage Equality

The Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8 are currently being reviewed by the United States Supreme Court and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop's have wade in on both issues filing a friend of the court brief.  The USCCB said in the DOMA case there is "no fundamental right to marry a person of the same sex. ...Specifically, civil recognition of same-sex relationships is not deeply rooted in the nation's history or tradition..."  So let's take the next few minutes to reflect on the nature of marriage and the Church's struggle to defend it.

The Prophets used the symbol of the marriage union as an allegory for God's relationship with humanity (Isa 54:5; Hos 2:20).  Jesus offered the wedding feast as a model for the Kingdom of Heaven, as a family affair (Mt 22:1-14).  A New Testament allegory described Jesus as the wedding groom, heaven as the wedding banquet, and the Church as the bride of the Lamb (Eph 5:25-27; Rev 19:7-9).  The mythic story of Creation also provides us with the image of God's gift of marriage.  God created the woman Eve and the man Adam as partners for the journey of life (Gen 2:18-24).  Without each other, they would have been lonely and unfulfilled. 

Now take a moment and reflect on the above statements.   Did you notice a common theme?  Did you notice the word "allegory?"  An allegory is a symbolic work:  a work in which the characters and events are to be understood as representing other things and symbolically expressing a deeper, often spiritual, moral, or a political meaning.  Marriage is an allegory or symbol of God's relationship towards humanity. 

The struggle for gay marriage isn't just about the right to marry, but our understanding of God.  To change the image of marriage, calls into question the Church's understanding of God.  A struggle that has been going on since the time of the Old Testament.

Marriage is and has always been evolving.  For example, in most biblical cultures, the wife was considered the property of her husband and subject to his will.  At the time of the patriarchs and kings, a man of a large clan was legally free to have several wives, as well as concubines.  A woman was permitted only one husband.  The husband could divorce his wife, but she could not divorce him (Deut 22: 13-21; Mt 19:3-9).  Marriage is evolving and with it our understanding of God.

The LGBT struggle for marriage equality is calling the Church into a deeper understanding of God and into a new set of questions.  Questions that need to be reflected on, not only by the Church, but by the LGBT community.  What new image, new understanding of God is being called forth through the LGBT struggle for marriage equality?  What does marriage equality for the LGBT community reveal about the nature of God's relationship towards humanity? 

In the Bible, a wedding feast was the celebration that honored the binding together of two families, or houses.  Jesus also offers the image of the wedding feast as a metaphor to understanding the Kingdom of Heaven.  In heaven, two houses will come together and celebrate one another and God.  I can't help but think that the Spirit is at work in our struggle for marriage equality. Reminding us we are all Children of God and called to celebrate the goodness of each other, as in the wedding feast of heaven and earth.

Peace and all good,
Brother Sun and Sister Moon

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Personal Reflection:
What new image, new understanding of God is being called forth through the LGBT struggle for marriage equality?  What does marriage equality for the LGBT community reveal about the nature of God's relationship towards humanity?  Feel free to share your reflections in the comment spaces below.