When marriage is in the news, it’s almost always bad news. Marriage laws are being challenged, marriage benefits are being eliminated, and marriage definitions are being stretched beyond recognition. Marriage seldom finds a good home in the movies, on TV, or in popular music. Concepts like “waiting till marriage” are viewed with ridicule or derision, and reports about abstinence seem skewed to focus on failures. We’re trained to expect most families to be one-parent households, even though 62 percent of American children live with both biological parents (EP News).

Much of the bad news we hear contains information we need to hear. It would be foolish to close our eyes to the pollution of marriage’s sanctity. And we want everyone to know that God can redeem our fallen lives. But we should resist the temptation to dwell on negative statistics. Understanding that one is walking in darkness is important, but such awareness combined with a lantern in hand is far better!

The theme of marriage in the Bible stretches from Genesis to Revelation, and so it blesses us to understand how God views it. The Song of Solomon, or Song of Songs, provides one instructive and winsome look at marriage. Reformed Presby­terian minister Anthony Selvaggio used a sermon series based on the Song of Songs as a foundation for his recent book on marriage. We’re pleased to offer excerpts of this book in this issue of the magazine, as the book provides a constructive biblical example. In addition, it gives wise warnings about pitfalls that betrothed people and married persons face in today’s world. One of those warnings has to do with the temptation, in a global culture, to spend lots of time (even time at home) occupied with activities that isolate husband and wife instead of unify them.

Another thing you hear about in the news are cases of famous people getting divorced or famous couples breaking up. Stories of Christians married for 30 years aren’t going to make Entertainment Weekly, but they will make this issue of the Reformed Presbyterian Witness (p. 10).

In trying to illustrate God’s plan for marriage, we again went for something different, asking some newlyweds among our readership to share their own wedding pictures with you. I hope you find the entire theme a very encouraging one. For those of you looking ahead to marriage and to those of you within a marriage relationship, may these articles remind you of God’s strong beacon of light through the shadows of doubt and temptation. Now, more than ever, the world needs your witness—even if it won’t appear on the evening news.