The Washington Post recently reported on new figures that indicate only 46% of children in America are being raised by their married parents.  The figure was 73% in 1960.

All of us must play a role in reversing this trend.

Here are five ways to engage the culture on marriage in 2015:

  1. Appeal to the heart.  There’s a reason people go “awwww” when we see stories about elderly couples who have been married for a lifetime.  There’s a reason love songs and poets wax eloquently about “forever” love.  It’s what we’re wired for.  We need to help people realize how to honor what’s already written deeply in their own heart: we’re made for everlasting love.
  2. Celebrate lasting marriages.  Perhaps you could encourage your pastor publically to recognize couples celebrating special anniversaries.  This especially helps young people to recognize that long-lasting marriages are possible.
  3. Learn how to explain the beauty of Church teaching.  How compelling are we in explaining the Church’s teaching when it’s challenged?  Do we know how to address the tough issues with clarity, sensibility, and sensitivity?  We should.  In fact, we have a duty to be prepared to do so.  If you feel ill-equipped, here’s a place to start.
  4. Ask probing questions.  Rarely are we able to convince other people in brief conversations about the goodness and beauty of the Church’s teaching on sex and marriage.  But we can plant seeds by asking probing questions, like:
    • Why is our culture sated with sex but starved for love?
    • If God is love, why do people want to kick him out of the bedroom?
    • If sex is only physical, why does it hurt so much when people have affairs?
  1. Show everyone you know these videos.  These compelling videos were prepared for a recent gathering at the Vatican.  They are beautifully made and offer us a true window into the beauty and importance of marriage.

What other ways might you suggest of lovingly engaging people on these important issues?

Source: The Cor Project