As I open the door to the third floor in Eagle hall, my eyes wander from the mini wedding dresses and wedding rings stuck to every girl’s door to the huge “Beloved Bride” lettering above each doorway.
I’m here because I heard about this hall’s theme from other students. They thought the theme was a little strange so I had to check it out for myself. Truth be told, I found this sight pretty odd as well.
Considering the fact that I’m not married and not planning on getting married anytime soon, I wouldn’t want “Beloved Bride” adorning my doorway.
As I continue down the hallway passing cutout flowers, hearts and wedding bells, I see it. Sprawled across a banner dangling from the ceiling is “The Bride of Christ.”
My initial reaction was one of clarity. That made much more sense. A split second later, I realized that I actually had no idea what “Bride of Christ” meant.
After doing some research, I learned that in the Bible the term “Bride of Christ” is a symbolic reference to the church. It is a group of followers to whom God has committed Himself; just as a bride is a woman to whom a man commits himself.
As Christ’s bride, we are to love Him, spend time with Him and remain faithful.
As reassuring as this all is, I’m sure I’m not the only one who was completely unaware and slightly confused by the hall’s theme.
Imagine a first-year walking onto her hall, surrounded by wedding paraphernalia. One of the signs reading “We are the bride of Christ. The proposal has been made. Will you accept?” Below which is an illustration of a couple getting married. Scary? If you’re uninformed, most definitely.
In fact, this hall’s unique theme could be sending the wrong message, commonly known as “Ring by Spring.” Eastern’s student body already perpetuates the idea that students need to find their soul mates, get engaged and marry as soon as humanly possible. And they do all this without the help of visual aids posted all over the walls.
Although “Bride of Christ” is essentially a really sweet and spiritual idea for a hall theme, I’m positive that it will be misinterpreted and misunderstood.