As my baby sister walked down the aisle last weekend, tears welled up in my eyes. She was radiant – filled with joy. She and her soon-to-be-husband joined together at the front of the church to create a beam of love and light bright enough to overpower a rainy Saturday afternoon. The rows of family and friends gathered from over 40 states to celebrate and bear witness to the love and covenant between Michaela and Kyle. From the ceremony to the reception that followed, the entire day personified love and hope.
Marriage itself is an act of hope. Sure, sometimes when I see a wedding program list 1 Corinthians as a scripture reading, I roll my eyes a bit. Can’t we be more original? And yet, every time the reading begins, my soul stirs with emotion from the hope in the verse:
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. w
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love endures all things…
This summer seems uniquely perfect to celebrate love. Weddings that have been postponed for years due to the pandemic are finally happening. Love has been patient, it has endured all things. And for many, these are the first large celebrations we have thrown or attended since Covid strained the social fabric of our country. Love bears all things. Is there a more hopeful season or a more hopeful year than this one? Love has been waiting for its moment to shine once again.
Love believes all things…
One of Michaela’s prayers during the ceremony was a hope for the world that I found particularly beautiful. “Lord, grant us the wisdom to care for the environment. Grant us your grace that we may be stewards of this earth and cherish its resources, we pray to the Lord.” Together they declared their belief in our shared humanity, that we can and should protect and conserve the amazement of the United States – and our planet for future generations. Love is so big and encompassing that it includes our love for the natural world we’ve been entrusted with.
Love hopes all things…
And as my sister and her husband begin their new chapter joined as one, we witness the emergence of a new family. The seeds from this marriage will grow a beautiful new family tree. And in this, we all find hope. In all the weddings we attend this summer of love, I hope we all see and enjoy the glory in this hope.