When love is the way….
US Bishop Michael Curry resurrects the power of the sermon at Royal Wedding
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Song of Solomon 8:6
I sat down before I did the Saturday morning cleaning. I thought I would take a look and see what was being said about the Royal Wedding. Google was advertising the Youtube live stream on its page. I followed the link and found myself watching. I have an appreciation for church liturgy so that held me. I wasn’t aware that the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church was to preach the sermon. Once he started I couldn’t stop watching.
He lifted what is usually a scripted and delivered without effect sermon and made it alive. So much so that he became the unexpected star of the show. We were listening as they were listening.
I heard the words from the Song of Solomon but didn’t recognise them. Once again I needed someone to make them memorable, what powerful words they are, “…for love is as strong as death”.
So the words fire us up but do we dance to them until the disco is over or do we try to harness this love and use our lives to transform situations?
So Bishop Michael gives us this hope….
Well, think and imagine a world where love is the way.
Imagine our homes and families when love is the way.
Imagine neighborhoods and communities when love is the way.
Imagine our governments and nations when love is the way.
Imagine business and commerce when love is the way.
Imagine this tired old world when love is the way.When love is the way, unselfish, sacrificial, redemptive.
When love is the way, then no child would go to bed hungry in this world ever again.
When love is the way, we will let justice roll down like a mighty stream and righteousness like an ever-flowing brook.
When love is the way, poverty would become history.
When love is the way, the earth will be a sanctuary.
When love is the way, we will lay down our swords and shields down by the riverside
to study war no more.
When love is the way, there’s plenty good room. Plenty good room. For all of God’s children.
And when love is the way, we actually treat each other — well, like we’re actually family.
When love is the way, we know that God is the source of us all, and we are brothers and sisters. Children of God.My brothers and sisters, that’s a new heaven, a new earth, a new world.
A new human family.
Can we take it from our imagination into our hearts and through our lives make it real?
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