Every year, we see a steady wave of couples saying “I do,” while at the same time, just as many are walking away from marriage through divorce. Marriage is being embraced and abandoned in equal measure in our society.
The rising divorce rate in Botswana isn’t just a private family issue; it’s a social reality that demands serious reflection.
Recent reports show that about 2,000 divorce cases are currently pending in Botswana’s High Court. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg, many separations never even make it to court. Couples often split quietly, without legal proceedings. This means the real number of broken marriages in our society is likely much higher, possibly double or triple what official stats reveal. The truth is more widespread and complicated than the numbers suggest.
When we talk about why marriages fail, common reasons often come up: infidelity, money troubles, poor communication, and various forms of abuse – emotional, physical, or psychological. These are genuine, painful realities that tear relationships apart. But here’s the deeper question: Are these really the root causes of marriage breakdown, or are they symptoms of something even more fundamental?
To respond meaningfully, we have to get the diagnosis right. If we only scratch the surface, our solutions will fall short. What we often see as causes might actually be effects of a deeper internal struggle. Fixing just the visible problems might offer short-term relief but won’t bring lasting healing. We need to look beyond actions and circumstances to the inner state of the person entering marriage. The real question isn’t just what people do in marriage, it’s what condition they’re in when they say their vows. The heart’s condition might be the real issue.
Scripture gives us a powerful example. When David faced his own sin, he didn’t just ask to stop the wrong behavior. He went deeper and asked God to “Create in me a pure heart.” This shows a vital truth: true change starts in the heart, not just in behavior.
This idea is crucial when we think about the spirituality of marriage. Many people walk into marriage carrying unhealed wounds, past hurts, trauma, emotional neglect, broken trust from previous relationships, and sometimes family dysfunction. They enter marriage not whole, but fragmented.
When two wounded people commit to a lifelong covenant without healing, the pressures of marriage often make those wounds worse instead of better. What shows up later as cheating, anger, withdrawal, or money fights may actually be expressions of deeper pain. That’s why looking only at behavior doesn’t tell the full story.
We need to rethink how we support couples before and after marriage. The key question isn’t just whether two people are compatible or socially ready, it’s about the condition of their hearts. Have they been healed? Have their painful memories been faced and reconciled? Have their emotional wounds been truly addressed?
Healing memories and healing relationships must be at the core of marriage spirituality. Preparing for marriage can’t just be about ceremonies, contracts, or communication skills. It must also be a space for deep inner work, helping individuals confront pain, forgive, and receive healing.
After the wedding, support shouldn’t just come in a crisis. It should walk with couples on an ongoing journey of inner growth. Marriage is held together not just by skills, but by transformed hearts. Without healing inside, even the best intentions can struggle to survive the realities of married life.
The spirituality of marriage starts with this truth: God isn’t just about fixing behavior, He’s about transforming hearts. You can’t truly renew a marriage by changing what people do on the outside if their hearts remain broken. Real restoration begins where God always starts, with the heart.
Marriage isn’t just a social contract, it’s a spiritual journey of ongoing transformation. It’s where two people are called not only to live together, but to heal together, grow together, and become whole together through grace.
That’s why the role of the Church, pastors, counselors, and everyone involved in family life is so vital. Their mission isn’t only to prepare couples for one wedding day, but to guide them toward lifelong healing and spiritual maturity. Pre-marital and post-marital support must include healing, reconciliation, and spiritual formation.
When we see couples who stay together through decades, it’s not just because they avoided fights, it’s because they learned to forgive, heal, and grow inwardly through grace. Marriage spirituality isn’t some abstract theory. It’s practical, asking every couple and every marriage process one serious question: What’s the condition of the heart?
As St. Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” Marriages stay unstable until they’re rooted in healed, transformed hearts resting in God. If Botswana wants to truly tackle rising divorce rates, we have to look beyond surface reasons and address the deeper spiritual and inner realities of those entering marriage. Only then can we offer real, lasting hope to the couples and families we’re seeing struggle.
Rev. Fr. Tshiamo Stephen Takongwa, Chaplain – Gaborone