13th August 2021

A few days ago it was our wedding anniversary (64th, since you ask!). I got to thinking about that memorable wedding in Cana, when Jesus turned water into wine. Some years ago I was a member of an ecumenical group visiting the Holy Land and we went to the supposed site of that miracle. In the souvenir shop there, I bought a bottle of Cana wine. Some colleagues assured me it would turn into water before I got it home! It didn’t and we later shared it with the Baptist Union President and his wife when they were visiting Tyndale and they were our guests for lunch.

This last year and more, varying degrees of lockdown have put a strain on many marriages – instead of one or both partners spending much of their time out of the home at work, they have had to spend their whole time together, with no breaks. For some the strain has been too much – the ‘wine’ of their marriage has turned to ‘water’! We can be quick to criticise, or even condemn people whose marriage has fallen apart in these circumstances. Instead we should endeavour to be understanding, where possible offer comfort and certainly remember them and their families in our prayers.

David T Roberts