Still, God’s original declaration stands: It is not good for man (or woman) to be alone. Marriage is good. Modern social science backs this up, as Brad Wilcox has argued in his recent book, Get Married. People in healthy marriages are happier by every metric imaginable. They are physically healthier, less stressed, better off financially, and not as likely to ever feel lonely. If blessed with children, they get to enjoy this additional gift together.
And yet, as we talk about these undeniable benefits of marriage, we cannot deny this simple fact: not every individual in our society will get married. Furthermore, the vast majority of these singles are likely to be single by circumstance rather than intent. This is true in society at large, but it is also true in church—the environment where the institution of marriage is much more highly regarded than in the society at large. In fact, gone are the days when people used to regularly marry someone they had met at church. Writing for the Institute for Family Studies, Lyman Stone has noted the “abysmally bad” odds for singles seeking to meet other singles in their church.
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