This is the season of weddings and many wedding-related questions have come into the mailbag, and two interesting

ones on wedding rings are related.

Chris writes in to ask, as I consider engagement, I have trouble giving into the idea of spending

a large sum of money on a ring.

I have a great desire to do so for my current girlfriend, but a diamond holds no external

value, and better things could be done with $3,000.

Is a fancy engagement ring really necessary, or is it just something society tells us

we need?

Likewise, Aaron writes in to ask this, Pastor John, what are your thoughts on diamond rings

for engagements?

Is it a poor use of resources to buy even a modest diamond ring?

So Pastor John, maybe I can simplify this to two questions about Christian engagement

and wedding rings.

Number one, are rings optional or essential?

And number two, are diamonds optional or essential?

Okay, those last two questions are easy.

The bigger picture may not be so easy.

Wedding rings and engagement diamonds are not essential.

They're not essential for engagement, they're not essential for marriage, they're not

essential for love, that's easy.

Both diamonds and engagements and rings for marriage are culturally defined, not biblically

mandated.

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