Introducing singles can help build the local church.
Netflix’s popular reality show Indian Matchmaking follows the work of Sima Taparia, Mumbai’s top matchmaker, as she finds eligible prospects for wealthy and selective clients. But beyond the sheer entertainment value of awkward first dates and sumptuous homes, there might be another reason lying beneath the nationwide fascination with the show: a curiosity about having our own Sima Aunty, as clients call their esteemed matchmaker, in the complex world of dating. Nearly half of US adults say dating has become increasingly difficult in the past 10 years, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center. Perhaps there’s a fresh case to be made for Christian matchmaking.
It is worth clarifying the definition of matchmaking in this context. The process is voluntary: The matchmaker asks detailed questions of her clients and then seeks to introduce them to others who might be a good fit in values, expectations, and temperament. Unlike dating apps, the matchmaker’s picks are curated from the US and India and are often beholden to their parents’ opinions. It’s up to the matches and their families to meet, talk, and take things further.
Watching the show, I wondered what it would look like for the local church to take an active role in thoughtfully introducing people who are looking for partnership to each other. Singles do not have to be left alone in the dating process—the local church can walk alongside our single brothers and sisters for the good of our interconnected community. Doubtless, many of us already are involved in the lives of our single friends. But for those of us who are not, we can move forward by seeing who is looking, making thoughtful introductions, and considering ...
from Christianity Today Magazine https://ift.tt/3jkCyL1
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