Submitted by John House, Jan 20, 2008 11:33

The people and churches are doing wonderful work. This work, however, is far too important to leave to one institution or class of institutions.

Only when I began business collaborations did I begin to learn the importance of including people, positioning one's self to be included, consideration and tactful honesty. Frankly, this is a survival skill that is more important than religion, more important than civic participation, more important than financial responsibility, more important than speaking English in the United States. It is more important, frankly, because without this skill, all others will collapse under the weight of mutual misunderstanding.

My spouse and I are approaching our second decade of marriage. This experience has taught me that two people who are compatible and who share broad goals can fail miserably if they do not understand how to maintain a relationship. Conversely, people who maintain a relationship can reconcile most so-called incompatibility, and the benefits of this skill grow geometrically through our society and the world.

The work these churches do is profound and wonderful. I hope we do not abdicate this work to small churches. Let's eagerly teach everyone marriage and begin as young as possible.

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