This week the world tuned in to watch a modern fairytale
come to life. All eyes were on Harry and
Meghan as they held a royal wedding at Windsor Castle. In the aftermath, and even before the day was
over, every petty and sarcastic comment to express how much ‘no one cares’ was
made. What is it about us that we cannot
celebrate with anyone who doesn’t walk in the same social sphere as we do?
This article will not bash the royal family, Harry and Meghan,
or the spectacular wedding day they enjoyed.
In point of fact, I shared their happiness as did a huge number of British
citizens who camped out for days to get a glimpse of the royal pageantry.
You can pat yourself on the back at how much you don’t care
and make disparaging remarks over any number of things about it. But, who are you to rain on their wedding
day?
Can we not see this as a delightful metaphor for all of
us? What value may we place on a
fairytale? Just as Yeshua (Jesus) taught
in parables, might we try and see beyond the envy and holier-than-thou
attitudes that animate the snarky and disparaging comments leveled at the
entire event? Can we see this as a
parable, a metaphor, for what we all carry in our hearts? Can we not believe they are entering a marriage based on love?
Just because their wedding was beyond what we common folk
have, does that mean it was trivial to them?
They are just human beings like ourselves. So-what that they happen to
have an enormous wealth and privilege that we, in America, find hard to grasp! Can we really justify our disdain because we
can’t relate to it?
Or can we?
How many people flooded Chicago when the Cubs won the
pennant? Did people gather to celebrate
the inauguration of a President? Do
people tune in to the Academy Awards, or get excited for the premier of the
next Star Wars movie or the like? How about
American Idol? The Super Bowl? Miss
America? Pick your event that touches your heart. You know you have your favorites, so why lift
your nose that the ‘Royals’ are unworthy of your interest?
What satisfies your personal fairytale? Is it the rags to riches, pauper to king
theme that beckons to your spirit? Is it
overcoming life-threatening events? Or
are only Royal Weddings relegated to ‘fairytales?’
Speaking of fairytales, what is it about a fairytale that
resonates with us? I know, our current
culture vilifies the stories like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. God forbid we should tell our daughters and
sons that there is such a thing as true love, or happy-ever-after! Maybe we should just crush their dreams of an
ideal because it doesn’t reflect real life.
I have news for you.
The princess thing is not going away.
Just look at how Disney has capitalized on this. How many little girls are fascinated with
being a princess? I dare say it would
take a conscious decision on the part of the parents to discourage this
fantasy. And why should we, really?
What does the fairytale tell us? A person who is enslaved (Cinderella), hated
without cause or due to envy (Sleeping Beauty) or dead (Snow White), can be
rescued by ‘true love.’ We all bought
into that phrase when we fell in love with the Princess Bride…why do we
begrudge anyone from that in real life?
Most fairytales tell us that the noble and selfless Prince
falls in love with the young maiden that will become his bride. He will rescue her and carry her off on his
white stallion to live forever in his kingdom.
Does this sound at all familiar to you? Is it simply a fairytale, or is it telling
the story that resonates within all of us?
Those of us who are seeking the Kingdom of God view the
whole thing in a similar, if not identical, fashion.
We who are lost, broken, dead in our sins, asleep, or
slaves to sin, yearn for the perfect Prince (of Peace) to rescue us from our circumstances. We even picture him on a white steed (see
Revelation), coming in power to vanquish the enemies of life eternal; to remove
the forces of darkness that prevent us from living in and with Him! His perfect love will give us the
happily-ever-after of eternal life in His Kingdom. Who doesn’t long for that, ye that call
yourselves ‘believers?’
So many of the events that occupy our attention fall in one
or more facets of the perfect fairytale.
You can figure it out. What was
the 108 year drought before the Cubs won the pennant? (Sounds like echoes of Rip Van Winkle to me.) How about American Idol? The Prince and the Pauper? Rags to Riches? A nobody becomes famous! A commoner joins the royal family.
So many parallels that you really must suppress the ideal
from your lexicon to call it a fairytale.
And how many of the things Americans are consumed with focus on love and
marriage?
It used to be that little girls sought a man that would
fulfill her desire to be loved and cared for.
It used to be that love was the goal instead of hooking up until the
next new thing comes along.
It used to be that we were happy for people who were in
love and marry each other in front of God and everybody. Why should we NOT be excited for the
institution of marriage, even if it is done in a lavish fashion few of us can
hope to enjoy?
I don’t know if Harry and Meghan will live happily ever
after, but I sure hope they do! And I tuned
in for their wedding! It was a lovely
affair that expressed love, culture, tradition and celebration. It was fun to see marriage treated with
respect and elevated as an event worthy of interest.
When is it horrible when people come together to share and
celebrate with two people who are in love and choose to vow a covenant between
them until death?
As the minister that spoke at their wedding said, “Two
people fell in love, and we all showed up.”
I prefer to show up for love and commitment, regardless of the magnitude
of the event.
Congratulations and best wishes, Harry and Meghan.
