The Bride of Christ

What does it mean to wait for the return of Christ?

Each day that I go to visit my fiance at his house, I look more and more forward to the day when I will be able to stay and not have to return to my own home. I wonder if that is how it is supposed to be in our relationship with Christ. Each time I meet with Him in prayer and devotion, my longing to be with Christ in our shared eternal home should increase. Each visit into His presence gives me a better taste of what it might be like when we can commune continually.

When I look forward to marriage, I look forward to being able to just be present in each other's world. I look forward to being able to share meals with each other on a consistent basis. I look forward to sitting at my computer, doing my school work, and then taking a break to have a short chat with my loved one.

How is it that our daily life with Jesus can be like this today? How do we recognize God's presence already in the normal everyday actions of life? Do we allow ourselves to have those periodic "break-time" conversations with Him, conversations that sometimes go longer than expected or we have time for? How do we sense His presence and recognize God while still going about our business?

What a beautiful image we have been given of Jesus as the groom and the Church as the Bride! How many allegories can we create from this image? The engagement ring (or Spirit) as a deposit of the promise of what is yet to come. The preparation of clothing, food, and guest lists for the reception (Great Banquet). The joyful invitation for loved ones to come (evangelism) and the early "save the date" notifications (Scripture) that we share so that no one will miss out.

So much symbolism! No wonder the world has it out for marriage! Why not destroy something that so beautifully represents the relationship between Christ and the Church!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Can the Spirit be the engagement ring if he is also the Groom? Just commenting to note that the Spirit seems to often be divorced from the Trinity and regarded as inferior to Father and Son. Although the Bible does establish a hierarchy, we must be careful not to forget that the Spirit is also God.
10:06 PM
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