Michael Curry’s impression on the bride and groom
The bishop preached first and foremost to the royal couple themselves—about their marriage and the work and witness they have said they want to offer.
As the Episcopal Church’s presiding bishop Michael Curry stepped up to the lectern of St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle Saturday to deliver an “address” for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, one friend watching the livestream, like me an Episcopal priest, posted this on Facebook: “The joy of The Most Rev. Michael Curry v. 600 Polite English Scowls. Who will emerge victorious?”
A BBC commentator clearly made that call, saying afterward, “That was a sermon!” It was not the dull “address” most wedding-goers—or even churchgoers—are used to. Despite the giggles and stares of so many elegant guests in the chapel that day, Curry electrified the world with his message of the power of love and the gospel of Jesus to change the world. Both the footage and the transcript have been posted on websites as varied as National Public Radio, the Today show, CNN, Essence, Town and Country, and a motherhood blog called Romper. Curry may have bested Billy Graham with the size of the audience that listened to him preach the good news of Jesus Christ—about 30 million people, not counting all those who have watched in the days since.
Some in my social media feeds criticized Curry for preaching too long (13 minutes), for “yelling,” “taking advantage of the situation,” “showboating,” preaching “histrionics,” and for being “too liberal” about God’s love. Many more were filled with delight and joy at his description of love as “a way of life” and “a world where love is the way,” not something “sentimental” but “power, real power.”
