September's Pinch of Salt

Love and Marriage - from September's Parish Grapevine
Jo Richards introduces important themes in the Genesis story in this month’s introduction to the Old Testament. Coincidentally I came across this sculpture from the Ratner Museum of Adam and Eve at one and hopelessly in love and rooted in the tree of life.
It celebrates relationships—as does the story of God’s creation of Adam and Eve—and I know that many couples celebrate their relationships in September (as Jeanette and I do) with this month being one of the most popular times for weddings.
The spirit of Genesis is captured in the wedding service with the actions of the service (exchange of rings symbolising their embrace, the joining of hands and the wrapping of those hands by the priest’s stole.) It is captured in the words of the prayer: “God our Father, from the beginning you have blessed creation with abundant life. Pour out your blessings upon … and … that they may be joined in mutual love and companionship”.
There was a rift in the relationship between Adam and Eve as they argued about who was to blame for what went wrong in the Garden of Eden. The consequence of that was that they each went about their own work. Heavy manual work for Adam and painful childbirth for Eve. Relationships have been difficult ever since! The stories of Genesis are written up to be typical.
Christian marriage recognises that and sees that the work and love of God is to help people find their better side (in the Adam/Eve story one was formed from the side of the other) in another to love and be loved. This is a sign of God’s mercy and love and shows that the gates of Paradise are open. It’s a long road to travel from our egocentric way of life and we are often slow to change our way of thinking. We have to make love because love doesn’t come naturally.
Recognising the differences between us, and the difficulties of our relationships and the inclination to want our own way, we need to hold hands and link arms to resist the pressures which might make us live separate lives. Only by wrapping ourselves in one another do we ever once again become one flesh.
David Herbert