I woke up late – at 8 AM (Eastern time) but luckily, the Royal Channel on YouTube was preparing a rebroadcast immediately after the “ride around”…which was perfectly timed post coffee cup #2 for me.
Really, I’ve seen a lot of “haters” saying how they aren’t impressed at a royal wedding…and that’s sad. Why? Because of what Rev. Michael Curry preached. Love is the answer. He summed up the reason we ALL should be thrilled by a public, social, OUT THERE display of two people committing to love. Because love IS the answer. That specific statement has been sung, spoken, preached, proverbed, exhorted…but we don’t listen.
Love is powerful. Love does conquer all and if you are a nay-sayer there, then you have never been enveloped in a love that is healing. So, off I go into the Christianic version of why this is true.
I don’t have a specific date and time in my mind when I confirmed and stated that Jesus Christ is my savior. I know a lot of Christians do. But quite honestly, I have always accepted it. I do remember the time when I realized that Christ had performed the ultimate act of love…dying so that I could have eternal life…dying so that my sins would be forgiven…taking on my sin (and there’s a LOT of that) so that I am right with God. Can you imagine that? Who would you die for? Seriously. Ask yourself that. Who would I die for?
I can’t answer it. I wish I could…oh, many of you will say your wife, your country…and I truly hope that is so, but I know I am a coward. I don’t fear death, but I’m not ready for it…so I’m not sure I would be willing to die for….anyone.
Anyway, the reason I bring that up is because the ultimate act of love was demonstrated on the Cross at Calvary…by Christ. To give up his life so that we are free…we will live in heaven forever, with our heavenly father.
So…if that’s the ultimate act of love, why do people do awful things (say awful things, think awful things, commit awful acts) in the name of God? Why does God let bad things happen to good people? (C’mon, you’ve asked yourself that before. I know you have…)
God wants everything to be good. He wants all of us to live in harmony, in love, in happiness, in communion. If you’ve read even a portion of the New Testament, hopefully you’ve gotten at least that…So why does he “let” bad things happen? He really doesn’t. And by virtue of the fact that we have GOOD, we then assume there is another team on the ball field. That team is EVIL.
Consider this – when you see something horrible happen, even if the perpetrator CLAIMS heavenly guidance, remember that the devil wears many masks. Those masks cover the face and the hearts of “good people” and obscure their vision and connection to God. Whether you believe in God or not, you have to believe there are two teams playing. Those who are good, and those who are not. I’m just taking that analogy to a Heavenly angle.
So…why? Why all this with a tie-in to the royal wedding. Listen to Rev. Curry’s sermon if you have time – because he just about tasks Harry & Meghan with changing the world through love. How can you watch two “kids” starting their married life so much in hope and love and not feel that maybe…somewhere…possibly hidden in this fragmented, sad, distressed, bickering, finger-pointing world…maybe somewhere there is love. Love that will go beyond just a couple of kids…Love that will begin a take-over.
I work for a company named Blackbaud. We have a motto of “Helping Good Take Over” and I would like to say right now that we…those of us RIGHT NOW, RIGHT HERE, IN THIS DAY AND TIME…pledge to *stop* the hatred, sadness, poverty, arguing, pain, suffering, hunger, division, finger-pointing, name-calling, “unfriending”, complaining…stop hyperfocusing on what is bad in this world and stop for a moment. STOP RIGHT NOW.
…If you’re still reading, do this with me. Right now. Take a slow breath in. Hold it for a count of five and as you exhale promise yourself (or the world) that you will do one good thing today. It’s a promise. So go do that one good thing.
If you read this far, if you have persevered, my hope is that you take to heart the above paragraph and commit to doing the same exercise every day. It doesn’t even take a minute. It’s a count of five…and a promise.
I had in my head to use Matthew 22:38 as a reference point for this blog, but oddly enough the Verse of the Day I came up with is Luke 6:35-36 and as always, God’s timing is perfect.
I am happy that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle begin their life in love today. Whether royal or common…rich, poor, American, French, Swiss, English, Egyptian, Japanese, Morrocan, Kenyan, German…you get the picture…marriage…a life of love…is just one part of the LOVE picture.
Take that breath now. And go out in love. Help someone today.
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