Made In Heaven

As arranged marriages go, the idea that the first time you meet your spouse is on the wedding day is pretty extreme. This, though, is the concept behind a new reality show from Channel 4. In what it calls a ‘ground-breaking social experiment’, the broadcaster has acquired the rights to develop the Danish 'Married at First Sight' for a UK audience. The experiment is to see what love’s got to do with it.

If all goes to plan, viewers will watch three couples declare ‘I do’ to a complete stranger. The marriages will be legally binding and cameras will follow the couples for the first six weeks of the relationship. What happens next - quickie divorce or wedded bliss - depends on the couples. Each of the 200-plus applicants will be ‘carefully matched by a panel of experts in the fields of psychology, psychotherapy, social and evolutionary anthropology and theology in the hope that their combined professional experience can create a “perfect” match.’

It is interesting that ‘theology’ is represented - especially as Jesus rated love and relationships so highly. In the reality broadcast known as the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed many everyday issues, including anger, lust, adultery, promises, revenge, generosity, judgmentalism, worry, ambition and purpose. He also attacked his society’s easy-come-easy-go attitude to marriage and divorce.

It is easy to flick off this latest ‘reality’ show as tasteless. It is easy to write off the applicants as desperate - either to find Mr/Miss Right or for the chance to become a ‘celebrity’. But there is a deeper issue. A society that held marriage sacred, that cared about relationships and that honoured lifelong vows would not entertain the idea of such a programme being shown as entertainment.

That a broadcaster thinks there is a potential audience indicates just how far the UK has drifted from the lifelong, faithful, loving monogamy espoused by Jesus.

UK & Ireland War Cry 24 May 2014