In love

Sport has not only served to link people, previously unknown to each other, in bonds of friendship, but has also provided the initial encounter for many couples.

Some examples are the North American HAROLD CONNOLLY who married the Czech OLGA FIKOTOVA (who met in Melbourne in 1956), and two members of the 1964 British team in Tokyo, ANN PACKER (gold medallist in the 800m) and ROBBIE BRIGHTWELL (silver in the 4x400 relay). God himself is the one who has laid down the basis for marriage in his word.

It is the most significant and important relationship that can exist between two people. In my own experience, I can say that I could not feel complete without my wife, Miriam.

She is my best friend, the most suitable 'helpmeet', the most important person in my life... without a doubt she is a special gift from God for me, as I am for her. As a couple we have learnt not to let a single day go by without giving thanks to God for bringing us together.

Mutual friendship is one of the foundation stones in marriage-building; a husband and wife should learn to confide in each other, more than in anyone else. Marriage never works better than when the best friend of one partner is his or her spouse. Marriage, fundamentally, is a relationship of supreme friendship.

Faithfulness is of extreme importance in any friendship, and never more so than within matrimony, where love is exclusive. It is not possible to realise a true marriage relationship without both partners making the commitment to be faithful to each other.

Forgiveness is another important stone in this building process. When we live daily with someone, we are aware that they have to put up with a lot of our defects, and so we need both to ask for forgiveness, and to know how to forgive, at the same time.

We must not forget that forgiveness is unilateral and unconditional... and someone who is capable of forgiving is also characterised by a short memory!

To accept each other unconditionally is another characteristic of true love. Our task is to love our husband or wife, and God's work is to change us, where he sees it is necessary.

Friendship, faithfulness, forgiveness and acceptance are no more than different faces of true love. If we season everything with a big dose of good humour, and a total dependence on God, we will have an almost perfect marriage... a marriage that serves as an example of how Christ loves his church. And one day this union will become reality with the wedding supper of the lamb. Christ and his church, together for eternity. We'll be there!