The morning was rather routine for the Brown family as Katie and I were woken on a Saturday morning just before seven by our children telling us that it was "morning time." Shortly after that, we learned that Meghan Markle had arrived at Windsor Castle Chapel. So we tuned in just in time to see the Most Reverend Michael Curry give his charge to the Bride and Groom, the soon to be the Dutch and Duchess of Sussex.
This wedding has been labeled "historic" for many reasons. The headlines call this a "Modern Fairy Tale." Meghan a bi-racial American actress, Harry the grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, and brother to the future King of England, William. Meghan 36, Harry 33. Meghan a divorcee, Harry never married.
As the young couple sat and listened to Rev. Curry give his charge, there was a certain excitement that Curry brought in his manner of address. As Robert Smith would say, he made doctrine dance. I was on the edge of my seat with ears perked as I listened to the Rev. talk of love and the hope that love brings to the world. And I kept listening with eager anticipation for the first black presiding bishop of the Episcopal church to ground his address in transcendence. He did the moment that he clearly articulated the love of God displayed for us in the sacrifice of the Son on the cross.
After the wedding, the ABC anchors gave their commentary with high emotion as David Muir said something like, "What we have just seen is the distillation of human need." How is a wedding the distillation of human need? How can a Royal event with the whole world watching capture everything that humanity needs in a single event?
Assisted by the liturgy of the Anglican Church, the millions of viewers around the world, heard the gospel and witnessed the gospel on display as a man and women, a bride and groom, a royal and someone who was not royal, were united in holy matrimony. In this one moment, with all that surrounds this, the bloodlines, the mingling of economies, the divorce, all a glorious picture of redemption.
Through this wedding, we remember that humanity's greatest need is love. What more excellent way to distill humanity's need than a wedding ceremony? Where we see two seperate lives joined together forever. The gospel is the foundational love story. Through the gospel, we learn of God's everlasting love for us before any of us had a single day while knowing we would sin, while knowing of our failure, God determined to love us anyway. And the majestic display of perfect redemption was when God the Son becoming flesh so that he could die on a cross so that through his death he could heal us and make us his very own. On the cross, sin crucified love, on the cross, love willingly loved the culprits of crucifixion.
Mr. Muir was right; this event is human need in distilled form. May this day stand in memorial of a more fabulous day that has come that has given us great anticipation of a day that is soon coming.
The church's one Foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is His new creation,
by water and the Word;
from heav'n He came and sought her
to be His holy bride;
with His own blood He bought her,
and for her life He died.