Why I Wear Two Wedding Rings

Like most normal guys now days, I'm not a jewelry person. I don't even wear a watch. In my younger years jewelry seemed cool, rebellious, tough. Gold earrings and gold necklaces for tough guys were all the rage…but then again so were New Kids on the

Block Vanilla Ice and Heavy D & The Boyz. Thankfully those days are long gone. Ever since then I've been on a gradual jewelry diet so that today the only accessories I take with me are a wallet, phone, and two wedding rings. Yep, two wedding rings.

I'm still only married to one woman (this year celebrating 10 years) and I've never lost my original white gold wedding band, so what caused me to go and get another wedding ring?

Gold Culture

After moving to Portugal we noticed something that we had never noticed as visitors all those years; 99% of married couples wear matching yellow gold wedding bands. Its traditional. Being from America, when we got married we followed the American tradition of a nice diamond ring for her and a rugged, utilitarian band for him.

"Can this ring withstand rock-climbing, auto-repair, skydiving, and bear cage-fighting?"

"Why, you do all of those things?"

"No. I just want to make sure this ring can handle it if I ever decide to."

Now, I'm certain that it would have been no big deal to just keep our old wedding bands. No one here is expecting us to get matching yellow bands just like immigrants to Eastern Europe aren't expected to wear their wedding bands on the right hand. But we're doing it regardless, because no one expects it.

Love Is…

I've come to realize that ministry is as much about loving people as it is about doctrine. It's what Jesus did when incarnate he entered into our world; not only to preach but also to serve and die. We're wearing two wedding bands because it says something, albeit, small about how we feel about our adopted culture. It expresses our desire to be servants. It demonstrates that we uphold and honor the institution of marriage. It's our small way of becoming… and who knows, it may just be the catalyst to a conversation about the hope within us which is worth far more than the cost of a second wedding ring.

Sorry Joey, Jordan, Donnie, Danny, and Jonathan…This time I think I have you beat.