My holiday reading was 'Here I Stand' the classic biography of Martin Luther by Roland H. Banton. A brilliant book full of food for the soul. In the chapter on marriage entilted 'The School of Character' we get these insights from Luther...
'he [Luther] began to portray marriage as a school for character. In this sense it displaces the monastery, which had been regarded by the Church as the training ground of virtue..' (p235)
To one of his youngsters Luther said, 'Child, what have you done that I should love you so? You have disturbed this whole house with your bawling.' And when a baby cried for an hour and the parents were at the end of their resources, he remarked, This is sort of thing that caused the Church Fathers to vilivy marriage. But God before the last day has brought back marriage to its proper esteem.
'The greatest grace of God is when love persists in marriage.'
In the old days this sound advice was given to the bride: 'My dear, make your husband glad to cross the threshold at night', and to the groom, 'Make your wife sorry to have you leave'.
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