all you need is...

slacktivist: All you need is:

3. 1 Corinthians 13 is sometimes called the "love chapter" -- which is apt, but always makes me think of Jack Jones singing about an open smile on a friendly shore. The subject of love is, of course, germane to the business of weddings, so it makes sense that this passage should be read so often in that context. But the chapter isn't really about marriage. It's universal. It's not about "this is how you should treat your spouse." It's about "this is how you should treat everyone." It's about "this is how you should be."

4. Having said that, it's still excellent advice for young couples about to be married.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. ..."

As such, it's worth noting that this passage has nothing to say about "gender roles." Walk into any so-called "Christian bookstore" and you will find a section dedicated to books on marriage. Nearly all of these books go on, at great length, about the supposed distinct roles of husbands and wives. None of these distinctions is compatible with the universal imperatives of the passage above. These books will argue that manly husbands should always protect and that womanly wives should always trust, but that's not what the passage says. The passage itself will not abide having such notions of gender roles inflicted onto it.

It's like...

...driving in front of an extra-large SUV with its brights on.