The world is in a transition season. We are questioning institutions and customs. Old ideas are scrutinized and evaluated to determine their relevance to a modern world. One of the most scrutinized institutions in our days is the institution of marriage. There seems not to be any role for marriages and proper families in today’s world. The 61-year-old Mayor of New York City has had a long-term partner he is not married to. We used to have a world where it would be awkward to talk about the Mayor of a major city and their 58-year-old girlfriend. There was a prestige and legitimacy that getting married and staying married granted you as a public office holder. Are those days gone for good?
Apostle Paul once wrote, “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior…” (1 Timothy 3:1-7). He must have had a good reason for insisting bishops must be married to one wife. The family is the fundamental unit of society. A society that does not have family as a top priority does not have a future. The breakdown in family values across nations of the world have been marked by a rise in various social vices. That is why our Mayor should have a wife and children. Leaders should reflect and reinforce the positive values we want in our world. A top ranking leader involved in a long-term relationship but without committing to marriage should be condemned.
God, family and work were the kind of core values leaders used to live by. Serving God and building a family are activities that require dedication and commitment. You had to think it through and commit to something bigger than you. It was not enough to be talented or gifted, you had to acknowledge God and commit to your family above your work. When we displace God in society and toss “family” to the wind. It never ends well. Trust me when I say that we prefer a future where girls aspire to become mothers over a future where progressive thinking is when a man has four children from three “baby mamas”.
