Are marriage and sex appropriate images of our relationship with God? While reading an article on Christian marriage I came across what I consider a pretty shocking statement. The writer began by comparing man’s relationship with the Lord to human marriage. Then he went on to say that we must “marry God” and even suggested that, in the context of this union, Christ plants “spiritual seeds” in us so that we can “give birth to new life.” I find this highly sexualized language both offensive and confusing. It’s one thing to talk about the church as “the Bride of Christ.” It’s something else to suggest that we can actually interact at this level of intimacy with God! Many Muslims reject Christianity for this very reason. They think that when we speak of Jesus as God’s Son, we’re implying that the Father had sexual relations with Mary. Shouldn’t we do everything we can to avoid such misunderstandings?
