A New, Sensitive Topic
With this issue we turn to a new topic: marriage and the family. Not even the church compares with the family in importance. Though the gospel may be proclaimed in the church, it is lived (or abandoned) in the home. We long to see the Adventist home strengthened and stable. It is to this end that we have prepared the articles in this issue.
Talk about marriage is quite acceptable in the church and society, but talk about divorce is touchy. Thousands of Adventists in North America have experienced the wrenching pain of divorce, some of them members of our own families. We know that many who find themselves divorced did everything in their power to keep their marriages together. But just as it takes two to make a marriage, it takes two (and Another above) to keep it. If one of the two partners is simply not willing, the other is often left a victim of a situation he or she did not want and tried desperately to avoid. We sympathize with their pain, and we would not condemn.
But we must also say what Scripture says and affirm the validity of God's plan. We must uphold the sanctity and permanence of marriage. Yet while the Bible tells us, "I hate divorce, says the Lord" (Mal 2:16), God does not say, "I hate the divorced." The distinction is important.
We recognize that we have not covered every facet of this problem. But our purpose in this issue is to Affirm the principles of God's Word, often neglected in the complexities of our modern life. That Word is our anchor, our guide. We must let it speak to us, call us to account, and point us in God's way. If we can help make that a reality in your life, we shall be glad.
A First Look
"Christian Marriage: Social Contract or Sacred Covenant?" is our keynote article, and once again we have turned to Samuele Bacchiocchi to write it. It examines the Biblical view of the foundation of marriage, and offers concrete applications of that view in today's life.
Betty Lou Hartlein writes from her perspective as a Christian counselor in "Christian Marriages Can Be Strong Marriages." Shirley Holmes, whose own marriage to a Lutheran minister survived her conversion to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, shares a Christian woman's view on the ideal husband in "A Good Husband Who Can Find?" Shirley's commitment to the Lord and her husband Ray eventually led him to examine the teachings of her new church, and today he is a part of its ministry.
But not all stories of troubled ministerial marriages have such happy endings. In "Trouble in the Parsonage," Rosalie Haffner Lee traces some of the causes of marital breakup in the homes of Adventist ministers, points in some directions the church could go to help, and finally identifies the most crucial element in preventing a broken home.
Warren H. Johns examines the surprising findings of a team of sociologists in "Why Conservative Protestants Have a High Divorce Rate." Then C. Mervyn Maxwell's "A Christian Way to Treat a Difficult Wife" offers thought-provoking and helpful suggestions in restoring a wounded relationship.
Broader Issues
Though most of the articles deal with marriage, we must not neglect the broader issue of the family. In "Toward a Family-less Society?", Laurel Damsteegt allows her imagination to construct the kind of society toward which some would urge our culture today, and she contrasts it with God's plan.
Then Mercedes Dyer's "A Tribute to My Family" shows what a powerful influence a true Christian family can have. Both of the above writers are new to Adventists Affirm.
Mrs. Damsteegt has both a Master of Divinity and a Master of Science in Public Health degree. She has served with her husband in pastoral and mission work and is now devoting herself to her special mission field, that of being a mother. Dr. Dyer taught at Andrews University from 1961 until her retirement in 1982, serving as chairman of the Education department the last four years. She has done mission service with her husband in South America and has conducted workshops on four continents.
Finally, read Ray Holmes's review of a remarkable book, Men and Marriage, which analyzes the root cause for many of society's problems.
Heartening Support
The enthusiastic response to Adventists Affirm has far exceeded our expectations! So many encouraging letters have come in (see a sampling in the Letters section), that we have been greatly blessed and strengthened. Even the few who differed with us have provided us with new opportunity for thought, study and prayer. We are grateful for both. For these blessings we can only praise God and recommit our lives to Him for service to His cause under the authority of His Word.
We hope this issue will be a blessing and strength to you. May we Adventists Affirm the lordship of Jesus in our homes!