I must admit mixed feelings about ‘The Royal Wedding’. Many of my friends have shunned the whole event, much more concerned with the nuclear disaster in Japan, the fighting in Libya, Syria, and many other places, the devastation of the storms in the southern United States, and so on. They have commented about how the money could have been saved and given to the poor. (Ref Matthew 26:6-13). They have commented about whether royalty is still relevant and whether we should celebrate the British caste system.

Others remember the paparazzi at the time of Princess Diana’s death and shun anything smacking of spectacle. I’m not a big fan of spectacle either, although I do try to stay on topic of popular trends.

So, this morning, I awoke and watched some of the ceremony. I’m an Episcopalian, the U.S. version of an Anglican, and the wedding was a traditional Anglican wedding. It felt very familiar to me. I love the hymn ‘Guide Us O Thou Great Redeemer ‘. As I watched, I thought about various prayers from various services that all those witnessing the ceremony would have their vows strengthened. I thought the homily was great, that every wedding is a royal event and calling on all people to be transformed by allowing God’s love to flow through us.

Later, I saw tweets asking if we really need a countdown to the royal kiss. I thought about the song from the movie “A Mighty Wind”. Yes, it is a comic look at folk music, yet the iconic song from the movie seems somehow apt.

In tales of ancient glory,
Every knight and maiden fair,
Shall be joined when the quest is over,
And the kiss is the oath that they swear.

Oh, when the veil of dreams has lifted,
And the fairy tales have all been told.
There's a kiss at the end of the rainbow,
More precious than a pot of gold.

As the ceremonies end, I hope everyone takes a moment to think seriously about love and commitment, not as part of some spectacle, but as a sacred part of who we are.