He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
~ Matthew 4:18-22
Yesterday, I posted this on Facebook to greet two couples who are dear to Anabelle and me on their wedding anniversaries, one couple for 48 years, the other for 19 – the younger wife being the daughter of the older couple. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of engagements the post generated. Some, perhaps liked the photo and the inspiring quote from St. Paul. Others mistook it to be our anniversary too and being good friends clicked the ‘Like’ button. But many I suspect were inspired by the many years the couples had been married.
Coming in the wake of another wedding in the family, I got to thinking that in spite of all the disheartening things happening in the world today people are still inspired and moved to see people fall in love and get married. In an individualistic and materialistic culture that extols greed and selfishness as virtues, it is still refreshing to see young people getting married and pledging to live their lives not only for themselves alone but for each other. It is heartening to see them pledge their love before God and community, promising not only to love each other – for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death them do part- but also to serve others in the community.
And in this world of fragile relationships, it is indeed awe-inspiring to see couples staying together in love for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. In this pragmatic, technologically driven, secular society most relationships end when the better is over and worse is here, when the riches have slipped into poverty and when health has been driven away by sickness. Love is the most wonderful experience but it is not always easy. Many stay say for the good times but only a few would want to stay for the bad. But recent days have been telling me, true love stay -or better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.
Love is a calling. We are called to love. And we respond in love. I do not see too much love on the world stage today. But I see it plenty everyday, everywhere: young children being brought to school by Mom or Dad, young couples preparing for their future leaving families and familiar surroundings to be united as man and wife and becoming one flesh, grandparents spending their remaining days helping raise the next generation. We have to see, encourage and proclaim these “small” events that will shape the future.
We have been called by God. We call on God to inspire us to proclaim the love in which He created us:
“But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
~ Romans 10:14-15