by Heather Bernard

Created on: September 26, 2009

The first thing I thought of when considering this question is when the woman who was caught in adultery and Jesus' reaction to her. His reaction was not to berate her for her sin or remind her of her failings. He did not say she would always be on a lower level than all of those that had happy marriages. He showed her grace and love and told her to sin no more. I think that divorce is an occasion where the church sometimes shoots its wounded. This is especially true if they are divorced while they are at the church.

Instead of focusing on restoration and helping these people through a difficult time, we judge them. Maybe this reaction is because we as the church feel we share the blame for not helping this couple stay together and in order to assuage any guilt or blame we try and make them completely responsible for it. No matter the reasoning behind it, it is not biblical.

The word 'acceptable' is difficult to understand. It true that God hates divorce. God created marriage to last forever and to be a deep and abiding relationship. Marriage is one of the most wonderful gifts that God has given us. God is pure and holy and can not have sin in his presence. God does not accept any sin. That being said divorce is not the unforgivable sin. Forgiveness is offered to all! I feel that you can still be used by God and you are still loved by God even if you have gone through divorce.

God does not have restraints on his goodness or mercy. God is not shocked by our humanity. He knows we have failings and He knows we are not perfect, hence the reason He sent His son as a substitute. Divorce is a good example of just how broken humanity is. I have known many people who go through divorces and then feel abandoned by the church and God. They feel like they have been relegated to a second class citizen. This is not a reflection of the love of God at all. I think because the sin of divorce is so public it is easier to judge. Gossip, lying, and hypocrisy are also sins mentioned in the bible, but few Christians would argue that they are unforgivable. It is unfortunate that many divorced people must constantly be reminded of their divorce and their status(it is unfortunate that the question, are you divorced is such a common question).

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