To the Pharisees it was a question of divorce, to Jesus it was a far deeper issue of covenant loyalty. 6 ‘But at the beginning of creation God “made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’

- Mark 10:5-9

This is a framework for a society to flourish. Divorce is not the centre but loyalty to our relationships is.

Loyalty in relationships is learned behaviour. We are made male and female for the purpose of learning covenantal loyalty. God’s covenantal loyalty to his people and our response of loyalty back is a deep wisdom we can only learn through modelling and practice. It is not an idea in our head but a lived practice. As we learn of God’s covenantal commitment to his people unto death our ability to commit to our relationships will grow. This flows out for the blessing of the whole of society and all of us learn more of God.

Through faithful marriages in society we see a glimpse of God's covenantal faithfulness to his people. Respecting how we are made as male and female and respecting the ideal of covenant loyalty is a way of making healthy communities. We need our church community to help us. This should make us aware of the importance of the church community and our individual responsibility to work to create a healthy church.

What are we doing to make TVC a healthy church? A place that is empowering people to build a better society? A place where we can become apprenticed to loyal relationships with each other and with God? A place of relationship where we can find healing? A place that is committed to bringing each other to God in prayer?