The best relationships I know are between people who rest securely in God’s love and have nurtured the desire for God above all else — including romantic love. They are between people who can be patient in love and who know that desire is not necessarily evil and fleeting, but that holy desire can be the backbone of a lifetime of shared service to God and others.
God has not created us for relationships based on domination, hatred of our bodies, and punishment of desire.
No, God set us up for joy. And when we listen to our desires, we forge relationships that are strong, honest, and faithful. We discover the joy of loving ourselves, other people, and God with more holy passion than we ever thought possible.
This message is adapted from “Faith reflections: How faith figures in finding and keeping love” written by Sarah Scherschligt that first appeared in the June 2006 issue of Café magazine.