Removing the Veil

The first thing I see every day when I walk in my door is my refrigerator. A refrigerator covered in a plethora of wedding invitations. I’ve lost count of the number of people I know getting married this year!  I’m excited – no I’m stoked for all these weddings! Do I love helping friends where I can with the planning, dresses, cakes, or even being in the wedding? Yes. Do I love getting to see people and an excuse to wear a pretty dress and heels? Yes. But what I love the most is the picture their marriage is painting to me and to the world.

The Trinity is the most beautiful picture of unity, oneness, perfect unconditional love and diversity/equality that the Lord gives us. God gave us marriage and family that so we can mirror that picture in a tangible way. In the first few verses of the Bible God says He wants to “make man in our image” signifying that man was made for community. Community and fellowship like the Lord has through the Trinity.

In Radical David Platt puts it this way:

“Apart from everything else God created, we were made in his image. We alone have the capacity to enjoy an intimate relationship with him. The first word the Bible uses to describe that relationship is blessing… God immediately followed his blessing with a command. ‘God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it’. God gave his people his image for a reason – so they might multiply his image throughout the world.” p. 65

We can love and serve the Lord alone successfully and Paul advocates that at times, but it’s in the context of unity within a marriage that allows the world to see the power of the love Christ has for them and for His church. That is why I am so excited about all these weddings!!! As my friends commit to a covenant with each other and the Lord they enter a deeper understanding of who the Lord is. Check out these illustrations* from a dear former professor of mine, Dr. Del Tackett.

Marriage is under an attack because it directly reflects the nature of God. Marriage is about happiness sure, but it’s about holiness and learning to reflect a love that changes the world.

In 2 Corinthians 3 it talks bout how when we turn to the Lord the veil that lies on our hearts is taken way. The context speaks about the old and new covenants. When people believe in the Lord, He removes the veil from their eyes and hearts allowing them to see and experience the new covenant which brings freedom from the law making the way for a deep, personal relationship and community with God.

I can’t help but think of that as I watch these brides remove their veils and enter a new covenant with their husbands and the Lord. A new covenant that testifies to the world the divine design for unity, love and relationship the Lord offers us. We are his image bears. It’s a scary but incredible responsibility and testimony.

This blog is for little brother, his wife and all my friends who got or are getting married this year! I’m proud of, pray for, and love you guys! I'm unbelievably excited for you!

My bother and sister-in-law

Adam and Pihla, Jeremy and Melissa, Alexandria and Will, Joanna and Dave, Sarah and Jordan, Annalee and Amos, Jordan and Joellen, Rachel and Robert, Laura and Steve, Katie and Ed, Danielle and Dave, Mark and Becca, Emily and Jedidiah, Luke and Joyce, Jessica and Joshua, Lindy and Jon, Justin and Brandy and all the others – I pray the Lord will grow and strengthen your relationship together in Him -that He would add depth, dimension and a greater hunger for Him to it. May He unify and strengthen the ties between you. Thank you for your example to me and to the world. We watch, we see and rejoice with you as the veil is removed!


*Slides taken from The Truth Project, Lesson 7 – Sociology: The Divine Imprint.  Copyright 2006 Focus on the Family.  Learn more about the Truth Project.

Other bride/groom picture compliments of:Alena Root - Fotolia.com