Part 5: Sacred Unions by Dan Brennan

This is the final post in a series written by author Dan Brennan (you can buy his book here) on sacred unions and friendship. 

Here is Part 1

Here is Part 2

Here is Part 3

Here is Part 4

Part 5:

“3. Sacred unions invites us to a spirituality of deep oneness in marriage and friendship.

A deep oneness in Christian spirituality is not limited to a narrow, exclusive couples-only club. Marriage is never exalted in the New Testament as the one and only relationship where a spirituality of oneness is present or flourishing. As I discuss in my book, in many present day Christian communities the belief that the husband and wife are to “leave and cleave” has been reinterpreted to signify a self-sufficient, romance-driven couple who are absorbed in each other. This, I suggest, has more to do with Freud and the sexualization of leaving and cleaving than it does with authentic fidelity and love in marriage.

Jesus prayed for us that we would be one – just as he and the Father are one. That is a deep oneness, a healthy oneness where it’s never too much to have a good connection. We are one Body. Many deep friendships before Freud referred to Acts 4: 32 where believers were of “one in heart and mind” (including the sharing/pooling of financial resources).

I would suggest that God is a calling us to participate in robust love in marriage and friendship. Both are ongoing quests for beauty, goodness, and truth in communion, intimacy, and union.

Deep oneness in marriage and friendships is something we were all made for. In light of this, several friends and I have formed a Facebook page for what we are calling The Sacred Friendship Project. We want to see a deeper conversation about spirituality, sexuality, and friendship and that will also inform you about the upcoming blog to promote conversation. If you would like to participate with us, please like the page.

Do you see a connection between sexuality and spirituality in friendship? It might be more obvious to point out the connection in a sexual union like marriage, but what about friendship?”

Much love.

www.themarinfoundation.org