Occasionally someone will say to
me, “Emerson, I’m contemplating your theory of love and respect…and I think you
may be on to something.” I smile at this
but I also clarify that this isn’t “my theory”…this is a command from the all-wise
God in Ephesians 5:33, and this is why it is a message that resonates around
the world. It’s not a message exclusive to Americans, or a certain age group,
or ethnic group. The Love & Respect message is for men and women everywhere.
We often hear inspiring stories from
people of all cultural backgrounds and from countries across the globe. Here is one that speaks to the power of this
message that crosses all cultural barriers.
My husband and I read your book while engaged, and it was an
enormous help to us. Actually, we were living in a Muslim country at the time,
where my husband is originally from. We joined a small group of other Christian
believers who were also interested in reading through the book, and we
discussed it weekly.
All of us felt the truths in the book were absolutely
fundamental. My husband and I come from two different cultures--East and
West--and yet, we consistently find that our most significant differences come
from being male and female! This book helped us to understand each other better
and see God's beautiful design for marriage.
After finishing the book, our little group actually ran two
seminars in the same country, based on the book. The people who attended were
so enthusiastic about the principles. This was huge, because this is a place
where marital strife is rampant. Divorce has not been high (though that is
changing), but often couples have lived together in deep frustration and anger
for years.
Your message is so significant to the Muslim world. Sometimes
American Christians want to come and preach a very feminist version of the
Gospel to "liberate" Muslim women. But actually, we believe that your
book really holds the key to peace in relationships…we really feel that in
seeing the functionality of the principles in Love and Respect, many people can
come to a very real understanding of the unconditional love of Christ.
