Marriage is about love, but it is not first and foremost about love. First and foremost, marriage is about continuity and transmission.
Interpretation
Marriage transcends love; it primarily focuses on continuity and the passing down of values.
This quote emphasizes that while love is a crucial element of marriage, the foundational aspect of marriage lies in its role as a mechanism for continuity, preserving cultural and familial legacies that are transmitted through generations. It suggests that the institution of marriage serves a more significant purpose than romantic affection; it is about building a lasting relationship that nurtures stability and heritage in society.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a wedding speech to highlight the essence of marriage.
How can finite man commune with an infinite God? To both Christians and Jews, God himself has made that possible by irrupting into the temporal world. To Christians, God became man in the Incarnation; to Jews, the God that spoke out of the fire on Mount Sinai gave his Torah.
Too many women are forced to abort by poverty, by their menfolk, by their parents. A choice is only possible if there are genuine alternatives.
A disquieting loneliness came into my life, but it induced no hunger for friends of longer acquaintance: they seemed now like a salt-free, sugarless diet.
The relationship between husband and wife should be one of closest friends.
Empathy is like a universal solvent. Any problem immersed in empathy becomes soluble. It is effective as a way of anticipating and resolving interpersonal problems, whether this is a marital conflict, an international conflict, a problem at work, difficulties in a friendship, political deadlocks, a family dispute, or a problem with a neighbor.
If you want to influence people, you want them to accept your suggestions, you don't say, 'You don't know how to use the English language,' or 'How could you make that argument?' It will be welcomed much more if you have a gentle touch than if you are aggressive.
I waited for my daughter, Billie, to come to me with her troubles - but I'm glad I didn't hold my breath.
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