A journalist reported a few years ago that she was the only doctor in a worn torn country in the Middle East. The people were living in a battle zone. Yet, the doctor noted, families were still planning weddings. I marveled at the idea that love persisted and prevailed during the very worst of circumstances. Weddings are proof that love is always on our minds.
Revelations tells us that
the Lamb of God, sent to save the world, was to have a wedding. The Lamb of
God, scorned, beaten, and crucified, was getting married. And all who are
invited are blessed. Matthew 22 talks about a wedding feast where the invited
guests refused to come. They were busy living their lives. Some of the invited guests
lived violent lives. When the invitation was delivered by UPS or FEDEX or the
postal person – whoever - delivered it – that delivery person was beaten up or
killed, for just delivering an invitation. That just does not make sense. There
had to be some political mess going on back then, too. Don’t you think?
Weddings help us keep the
main thing, the main thing. We all know, love is the main thing. We need the
uplift that weddings bring us. Cultures around the world celebrate weddings
with various traditions. Although, in the Congo, a couple is not supposed to
smile before they are married. If they do, it is said that they are not taking
their marriage seriously. In Cuba, every man that dances with the bride must
pen some money onto her bridal gown to help pay for the wedding and the
honeymoon. Russian couples take a bite
out of specially prepared bread with interlocking rings and whoever gets the
biggest bite is considered the head of the family. In India, folks bond the
night before a wedding, applying hours of skin art that can last two weeks. We used
to throw rice because it is a seed that grows as we pray their love will grow. Filipinos
may release two white doves to symbolize peace and harmony. The morning after a
German wedding reception, couples are out sweeping up pottery that was thrown
on the ground and broken by the guests to ward off evil spirits that try to get
into the relationship. As they work together the next morning to sweep away the
pieces, it is said that they will be able to deal with any challenges that are
thrown at them. A Chinese classmate stunned me as she told that red is the
color of success, fertility, loyalty, honor and love. (Our American way of red
valentines and red roses may be connected.) A Chinese bride might even wear a
red bridal gown! Our traditions of love are deep and wide.
A college janitor tells
the story of cleaning the floors in the girl’s dorms a few times. He says, “One
thing that astounded me as I went from room to room was the large pin-up
pictures and posters of brides on the walls. Some of these girls had pictures
taken from BRIDE magazine all over their walls. I might add that some of these
girls didn’t even have boyfriends yet. It didn’t seem to matter whether
marriage was imminent or not, the idea of being a bride and wearing a beautiful
white gown with a veil was the biggest dream on some of these girl’s minds.
Dreams and fantasies make
our world go round. Still, we cannot dream our lives away. If we want a dream
to come true, we do well to work it. Or as one friend often says, “Love is
blind, but marriage opens both of your eyes.”
In the bible, the church
is the bride of Christ, who is the Lamb of God. We are constantly preparing
ourselves to be the most beautiful and loving bride that we can be. We are the
Church and we are the only bride. It is our love and devotion that matters. It
our care that counts. It is tenderness that heals.
In the Matthew 22 wedding
feast, we see that those who were originally invited wanted no parts of Jesus
or us - his bride - the Church, so the invitation went to all who were willing and
available to attend. There was one who showed up who was not dressed for a
wedding. No excuse was given and we are left to wonder exactly what his motive
could have been.
Those who come to witness
a wedding and to celebrate our covenant, a covenant between a loving bride and
the precious Lamb of God, come ready to celebrate. When we prepare, we are the
most beautiful and wonderful bride. Then all invited guests and witnesses have something
wonderful to celebrate! The Church is a wonderful bride preparing and ever
ready to love in the best of times as well as the hardest of times. Amen.
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