I have just experienced a brunch I hope I always remember. While the food was very good, that will not be the reason for the memory etching. Even with a stunning setting, wonderful ambience, and gardens reflecting meticulous care and love, this will not be the reason I want to remember. What struck me was the quantity and quality of individuals coming together to celebrate the wedding between two wonderful individuals.
I am left with a collective sense of happiness and hope, a powerful reminder of what happens when a community is united around beauty and love. The personalities present represented different lifestyles, faith systems, economic power, and age. On almost every measure I could think of, diversity reigned! In this clear diversity, there was a wonderful belief in relationships and life itself. In the midst of everything, one thing remained, love. In this setting there was a shared love of two that were now one.
I find myself looking back, writing, and thinking of two different conversations about God. One is a psalm where the writer left us with his reflection; “There he is: Sky-Rider, striding the ancient skies. Listen – he’s calling in thunder, rumbling, rolling thunder.” (Psalm 68.33) The second is a song titled “One Thing Remains”. In both I find myself experiencing the joy of love’s possibilities. Love is grand, beyond awesome. It never gives us, never runs out. On and on it goes, satisfying the soul!
The music plays on, the images dance in my mind, and I see the joy and happiness across the faces of those present. It is a wonderful memory that takes me to the present. While it was a moment in time, I wonder if I am willing to let the wonder and beauty left by the Sky-Rider set the tone for the days to come.
I hope that the renewed sighting of the God I love dominates the days to come. We live in a world longing for compassion, caring, and community. We can be restoration agents for hope and possibilities in whatever we do.
