cktimes.ca Archives for The Pastoral Lens
The Pastoral Lens
Multicultural Matrimony
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
I had the great pleasure of officiating at a wedding this past weekend that was unlike any other wedding I have ever done. Most of the weddings I conduct are from my own little community which have a mostly "Christian-based" understanding of the marriage covenant. What I mean by this is that the people involved would say they follow the Christian faith, whether or not they are committed followers of Jesus Christ. This was not the case with this particular marriage ceremony. Many different faiths and cultures were represented. I was in for a very interesting and stimulating time.The bride grew up here in Wallaceburg and I have known her and her family for almost 19 years. The groom was born and raised in Sri Lanka and moved to Canada around the time of his late elementary years. He learned ESL (English as a Second Language) in Toronto, where his family emigrated. He was raised in a Christian home, although most Sri Lankans are either Buddhist or Hindu. When I met with this couple for their pre-marriage sessions they had a unique request. These devout Christians wanted their wedding ceremony to take place in a hotel instead of a church. Their reason was very simple. A number of their guests, particularly on the groom’s side, would be uncomfortable in a church. Their guest list included Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, and other non-religious people. Having the service in a hotel setting would remove the barriers that religion can sometimes cause. They were clear, however, about the content of the service. They wanted an overtly Christian message, a message that they were eager for ALL of their guests to hear, regardless of cultural and religious background.
The service took place in a picturesque atrium, overlooking the hotels’ pool and surrounded by lush greenery and waterfalls. The hotel’s balcony rooms also gave outsiders an optimal observation of the proceedings. The roof overhead was composed of greenhouse-like glass and proved to be a factor in the temperature… a BIG factor! I used John 14:1-6 as my text, which likens the return of Christ to a Jewish wedding. We often hear this passage preached at funerals, which is also appropriate, but it fit nicely here, too. The Asian cultures represented that day all understand the sanctity of marriage. They hold differing customs and traditions, but they also hold marriage as a high honour. I appealed to that understanding, but emphasized the undeniable fact that God is the Author of marriage. In the very beginning of creation He states, "For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). Powerful, meaningful words, indeed!
The wedding reception in the evening had a distinctly Sri Lankan flare. All of the Sri Lankan women wore a traditional sari and even the bride left at one point during the dancing only to return in a beautiful sari of her own, a delightful surprise to her new groom and the guests. Special dances also took place. I stayed on the sidelines and watched with my 2 left feet, but my beautiful wife Ruth, always ready for a great evening of dancing, hardly left the dance floor all night. We ended up being part of the last people to leave.
I came away from this weekend with a heightened appreciation for the sanctity of marriage and the increased awareness of how other cultures view the relationship between husband and wife. It was a special time that I will not soon forget!
