The morning before attending the Couples’ Class at St. Mark, I visit with the group in a vivid dream. In it, the class has grown to one hundred members or more. They meet in an outdoor ampitheater. Despite having attended the class for years while we lived in Atlanta, I recognize no one. Each time I try to start the lesson, someone raises a hand to ask a bizarre question, like “What really happened to your hair?”
What a relief to discover things haven’t changed that much since we left! The group is about the same size as before, and only half of the faces are new to me. The layout of the room has been altered, creating a wide space with broad rows instead a deep space with shorter ones. The custom name tags have given way to simple blank stickers.
The most important features of the class remain the same. The group is lively and attentive. They’re eager to participate, to ask and answer questions, to tell their stories. A few singles attend, but most of the members remain couples. Some are straight. Some are gay. Some have been together thirty years, while others proudly note they’ve been a couple for a month and a half.
Each time I visit, I’m reminded of the tremendous power of a simple idea: giving partners an opportunity to grow closer together while growing closer to God.
Just visiting once every few months — heck, just knowing that group is still there — makes my world a better place.
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