A woman discovered her husband was having an affair. He agreed to visit a marriage counselor. The wife longed to reconcile if her husband would break off the affair. He objected, insisting both relationships would benefit his well-being. The counselor asked: “What vows did you use at your wedding ceremony?” The husband said he had prayerfully consulted the vows — “to love, honor and cherish you until death do we part” — before beginning the affair. He claimed his second relationship did not interfere with these words. “ ‘You’ can be singular or plural,” he said. “I see no reason for my vow to remain exclusive. I am free to extend these words to another.” The counselor agreed the husband had technically not broken the vow. He said, “In the name of reconciliation, I recommend you accept his expanded definition of your marriage covenant.” The woman wept in agony. Such is the state of affairs in our Mennonite denomination.

Aaron Yoder
Morton, Ill.