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When Jessica and Josh told me they wanted to get married on the 4th of July, my first thought was, �Um, OK... you want to celebrate Independence Day by giving up your independence?� But then I read a quote that kind of put things in perspective. The quote is from, of all people, Gloria Steinem. You may remember Gloria Steinem as one of the founders of the modern feminist movement. She has been quoted as saying, �A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.� But you know what? Ms. Steinem got married for the first time a few years ago at the age of 66. Changed her whole outlook. Now she says, �Being married is like having somebody permanently in your corner; it feels limitless, not limited.� Somehow, I think Gloria Steinem would thoroughly approve of a wedding on Independence Day, because she, too, understands
the dance of love.
As for the setting of the wedding: you know, Jess and Josh could have gotten married anywhere. Weddings are performed by justices of the peace, judges... hey, if you go to Las Vegas, a whole army of Elvises would be happy to perform the service. It�s possible they picked St. Mark�s because they could get the minister cheap (the Mother-in-Law discount)! But a wedding in a church is special, because Christians see a marriage as a sacred covenant. It is no coincidence that the first public miracle performed by Jesus was at a wedding, turning water into wine. The love between and husband and wife is a symbol of the love between God and His people. The love of a husband and wife--that spark, that connection, that dance--is a tiny peek into the love and connection and dance that God wants to have with us. When we are able to love each other, sacrifice for each other, and devote our lives to each other, then we are better able to understand the all-encompassing love of God. When we grow old together, we understand better the concept of growing closer to God for all eternity. If we learn how to look into the face of love, then maybe we can one day look
into the face of God.
