Stethoscope

A member of my church emailed this too me--pretty cool.  I wonder if the same tune plays inside all of us, or if we might hear different music.  What are other potential bible verses to use at the end of this video and what corresponding song would play?

When is it Appropriate to Break The Law in the Name of Christ?

Following the discussion on marrying couples without notifying the state, I thought an interesting question was raised.  When is it appropriate to follow the laws of the land even though we disagree, and when is it important to practice civil disobedience or holy mayhem, as I believe Shane Claiborne calls it?

Married in the Eyes of the Lord

A couple recently asked me if I would perform a wedding ceremony without a marriage certificate. They wanted to be "married in the eyes of the Lord." One of the persons wanting to be married was a widow and receiving her diseased husbands social security. Essentially they could move-in together and live as if they are married without conssequence, but out of Christian commitment, they wanted to be married before moving in together and did not think their marital status should be the state's concern. After looking up the state statute and penalty for breking it, I informed the couple I could not perform the ceremony, but I was conflicted.

Especially for older couples without significant income, it seems that our laws encourage cohabitation rather than marriage. Unless there is a law that a person cohabiting cannot receive a deceased spouce's social security, there truly is a "marriage penalty" particularly for the elderly who are widow(er)s and may be financially fragile. Has anyone else experienced this? What are your thoughts?