Monday 6 June 2016

The Husband as Spiritual Weightlifter

The Gospel Coalition brings us advice on how a husband should look after his wife: 
"A Christian husband hoists onto his shoulders the things that burden his bride—her insecurities, her shifting moods, her hot temper, her gnawing guilt, her persistent fears, her sin. He gives himself up to bear her up."
The first thing to say is, she wasn't much of a catch, was she? I reckon he could have done better. Or maybe, maybe she's actually quite a nice woman and he's making up all the stuff about her shifting moods and hot temper, and all the rest of it, in a cack-handed attempt to make her dependent on him, Mr Perfect.

And then - he's hoisting onto his shoulders not just his wife's manifold failings, but his wife herself. What is this bloke? Some kind of bloody weightlifter? And does he hoist all her burdens directly onto his shoulders - and then the Mrs on as well? Or does he just leave all the burdens on her shoulders and pick her up with them where they are? It's not such great news for the little woman, but at least it's efficient.

I've asked the various super-spiritual husbands and their vexatious, irrational other halves down to the Big Meadow for 9pm. I'm not convinced they will be the great adverts for the Christian religion that the Gospel Coalition imagines. But it's gonna be a brilliant piggy-back race.

1 comment :

  1. Oh dear.

    What advice does the #GospelCoalition provide for the wives of Christian Men?

    Could it be:

    Always be stressed

    Always be overwhelmed doing the washing?

    Always be tearful and weepy?

    Always be in a bad temper or moody?

    Always be feafull?

    Always be sinfull (in moderation)?

    The reward for all of these things to be hoisted along with baggage onto your husbands shoulders, without an appropriate risk assessment.

    I'm considering reporting the Gospel Coalition to the Marriage Guidance Council, along with St Paul for giving marriage guidance without an accreditation or a licence to practice - they need to be struck off immediately -never to harass Christian Husbands again -so there!!

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