New Church Life Jan/Feb 2015 | Page 50

new church life: jan uary/february 2015 In Married Love 75 we read of an angel whose every thought and affection is refulgent with the presence of his wife because of the true love they share. Even this is represented in the relationship between moon and earth: as the result of what is called a synchronous orbit around the earth, the moon constantly keeps his “face” to her. It is as if he gazes only at her, his beloved, in devotion. Upon first consideration, these ideas may appear to conflict with the doctrine that the fundamental life of a male is a love for growing wise and that of a female is a love of the wisdom in the male. (Conjugial Love 90-91) The basic idea is that a man loves to learn about spiritual truths and the wife, adoring his wisdom, loves to reify it in her activities. This would seem to place the male in the position of the earth, orbiting the sun (God), directly, and the adoring wife (moon) orbiting her husband. But what is wisdom? Is it knowing about how many heavens there are and who lives in which quarter of the heavens? Is it being able to quote verse three of the first chapter of the Second Book of Kings? Is it expounding such wisdom upon the eager ears of his orbiting wife? Or is real masculine wisdom learning to hear the voice of his wife; to be sensitive to her concerns, needs, hopes and dreams? Perhaps the wise husband is the one who learns to cast away unswerving confidence in his own understanding in favor of an open-minded exploration of life – spiritual and natural – with his wife. Having an immediate relationship with God through study and devotion can never be done away with, but when a man’s devotion to ideas about God supersede his devotion to the wellbeing of his wife, wisdom has fallen. 2 The moon has a direct and unique relationship with the sun. In fact, because of the virtual lack of atmosphere, the sunlight that touches the moon But what is wisdom? Is it being able to quote verse three of the first chapter of the Second Book of Kings? Or is real masculine wisdom learning to hear the voice of his wife; to be sensitive to her concerns, needs, hopes and dreams? 2  In a number of traditional cultures, including Australian Aborigines and some Native American nations, moon is understood to be male, even a universal husband of sorts to the women of the culture. Even in our own culture we speak of “the man in the moon” when the image could just as easily have been construed as “the woman in the moon.” 46