What would you say is the most important aspect of your faith? What is the foundation of your Christianity? What is the foundation of your life? The Apostle Paul told the Corinthian believers what was of "first importance." Christ died. Christ was buried. Christ was raised. Christ appeared to many. The God-kind-of-life is rooted in this story. This story, Paul says, sustains us and nurtures us. This story, he says, is how we are being saved day by day, breaking free from he clutches of this world and enjoying new life in the arms of God.

Marriage is tough to figure out. In fact, the Apostle Paul said it's a "mystery." But he didn't mean that marriage was impossible to navigate or that it confused him. He meant that a marriage bursting at the seams with love, respect, and tenderness points to Jesus' love for all his followers, the church. The mystery is that our love for our wives and husbands gives us a taste of Christ's love for us on this side of eternity. This amazed Paul! Who knew that something as common as marriage can give us a sense of awe for our great God? So let us look again at our marriages. Let us look closely. And let us see the face of our God.

Marriage is the blending together of two unique individuals from different backgrounds with diverse family cultures. Two individuals who have their own quirks and are coping with their own distinct wounds. Two individuals pursuing divergent passions who are often stubbornly committed to their own expectations. It's no wonder that marital bliss often devolves into dysfunctional messiness.