If there’s one God-ordained institution that doesn’t get the respect it deserves, it’s marriage. Marriage in today’s secular culture is nothing more than a nice token after you’ve been living with your partner for a few years. People are more concerned with experimenting and experiencing as much as they can before they settle down and get married. When they do finally happen, weddings are more of an excuse to have a lavish celebration than anything else.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the devaluation of marriage has crept into evangelical thinking, and more than ever, Christian young people are waiting longer and longer to get married. This is not without consequences, though, and the number of Christian young people living together and engaging in pre-marital sex is at an all time high. Some are beginning to notice, and they’re calling for a change in thinking. Quoted in a recent Washington Times article on the subject, Mark Galli sums up the whole problem when he says,

“We are, of all Christian traditions, the most individualistic, [but we] cannot tell gay couples that marriage is about something much larger than self-fulfillment when we, like the rest of the heterosexual culture, delay marriage until we can experience life and delay having children until we can enjoy each other for a few years.”

It’s nice to be able to report some good news today. The Love Dare book that appears as a plot device in the upcoming Christian film, Fireproof, has generated so much interest before publication that it’s expected to be a blockbuster when it finally comes out. Kirk Cameron stars in the movie that deals with the subject of a marriage on the rocks and how it was saved. The movie reportedly generated a standing ovation at several early screenings at Christian events.

“Catherine and I were in love when we were married, but today, we’re two very different people,” says Caleb, played by prominent actor Kirk Cameron.

“We fight more than we do anything else,” adds Catherine, played by Erin Bethea.

In the last half of the movie, Caleb strives to win back the heart of his wife with his newfound faith and with the help of the “Love Dare,” a 40-day spiritual guide that utilizes the Bible to reveal what true love is. The title “Fireproof” stems from the idea that “fireproofing” a marriage doesn’t mean keeping fire from ever coming, but being able to withstand fire when it comes.

I look forward to seeing both the book and movie.