divorce

Divorce is bad. I think everyone would agree on that subject. It ruins lives, families, tears people apart.

However, is it ever alright for Christians to be divorced? I think the Bible is pretty clear on this. Some pharisees, or religious leaders, once asked Jesus if divorce was alright since in ancient Jewish law, given by Moses, provisions were made for divorce. Jesus' answer was pretty profound. “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. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (Mark 10:6-9 NIV).

To me, this is pretty clear. We should not be divorced.

Yet, what do you say to the woman who is in an abusive relationship? How about verbal or emotional abuse? When someone is in danger from their spouse, common sense is to separate. A woman who is being abused needs to get out of that situation.

Therefore, I would say that people who are being physically abused do have a reason for divorce. In many ways, when there is abuse, the function and protection of marriage is destroyed. The divorce papers are merely documentation of that destruction.

Can reconciliation happen, and people be re-united? Yes, I think so. People can be healed and set free from the lives they used to lead. That is the work God is doing in all of our lives- renewing us. Therefore, I think any marriage can be redeemed. It may take one person leaving in order to protect themselves, but we should always have faith in God to heal that which is broken.