"Fūki no tou, ai suru ko no kao shirazu"
"The grief of the wind and tree, not knowing the face of a beloved child."
Japanese proverb
Image generated with the assistance of Microsoft Copilot
During my time in a European country with some Christian friends, I observed that one husband often turned to look at women who passed by. Eventually, I mentioned to his wife, "It seems challenging for some Christian men to resist looking at all these women around."
She responded, "They don’t look."
I bring this up to highlight that there can be early warning signs when you attach yourself to a partner who exhibits such characteristics. These signs can be red flags that things may not go well in the future.
The Bible principle in Matthew 5:28, which reads, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart," may seem outdated to some. However, it's worth considering the potential outcomes of disregarding this principle.
Imagine you marry a man you have fallen in love with, and two years later, you have a baby. Sometime afterward, he succumbs to the lure of internet dating sites. One evening, he comes home, packs his bags, and tells you he is leaving. The child, in a traumatic episode, clings to his father’s leg, screaming, "Don’t go, Daddy, don’t go."
As a former Christian shepherd, I have comforted partners on several occasions who have experienced such trauma. Not only are you left to raise a child in the aftermath, but as the child grows into adulthood, emotional scars can begin to surface. And the grown-up child has an ache that no medication can cure.
The grief of the wind and tree, not knowing the face of a beloved child.
This saying warns against compromising one's moral standards, suggesting that such actions, like adultery, can blind one to the needs and wellbeing of those they most cherish.
Bible quotes from the BSB.