Walmart Wedding

I  just read an article which reported that a couple had gotten married at Walmart.  Apparently that particular Walmart was the place the couple had met and fallen in love.  For most of us it seems to be a rather strange place to get married, yet it was not without its uniqueness.  As a place for marriage, Walmart is a foreign place for us, but to that couple it was a special place.

I wonder if that couple feels that way about the church?  Perhaps the church was a foreign place to them and the only place they found love was in a Walmart.  What does that say about the state of our culture today?  But, more importantly, what does it say about the church? Is it possible that we in the church are so self-centered that most people on the outside feel that finding love in the church is just as foreign as it is for us to find love in a Walmart?  It is an important question that we must wrestle with.

When people come through our church doors, do they find it as a special place?  How do our church attendees feel?  Is church a special place or is it a place of strife and activity without purpose?

Jesus says in John 13:35 that people will “know that we are His disciples if we love one another.” The truth is that because of the depth of the love of Christ and all that He has done, the greatest demonstration of this love that we can offer is the church’s love for one another.

Is our church a special place for this kind of love? While we may be amused or intrigued whenever we hear about unusual weddings and romances, let us not forget that the church, above all, is to demonstrate the highest display of love-the sacrificial love of Jesus.  It is that kind of love that will make a difference in today’s world.