Love, Honor, Forgive
Sermon
Best Wedding Meditations
An Anthology
Object:
If you had been married forty years ago, you might have subscribed to the vows to "love, honor, and obey ..." your mate or spouse. We put an end to that, but maybe we should substitute an alternate and ask of each of you to "love, honor, and forgive."
It is interesting to speculate on how much our divorce rates could be cut down if "forgiveness" were as much a part of the marital relationship as, for instance, the conjugal bed. Divorce might even be outmoded -- or at least reserved for deeply serious cases of incompatibility or negligence.
The word "love" in our day refers to almost everything from apple pie to sexual orgies. Whatever its true and accurate meaning, it certainly must include the ability and willingness to forgive. We could not conceive of divine love apart from forgiveness. Human love, which is essentially a reflection of divine love, is not really love at all unless it is a forgiving love. We may be full of poetry and music toward our mates as long as their affections and activities pamper our egos, but this can hardly be construed as love.
We must "love, honor, and forgive." This must begin with our acceptance of God's incomprehensible love and forgiveness. It must be followed, and this is inculcated in such acceptance, by our ability to forgive ourselves. A humble and honest appraisal of ourselves should certainly make us tender, acceptive, understanding, forgiving toward our mate or fellowman. It does not mean that we must condone our own. But we may have to learn how to tolerate the weaknesses he or she has not yet learned how to transform into strength, the liabilities he or she has not yet turned into assets. We need to accept each other as valid, significant, worthwhile persons, even in the midst of or including our failure-fraught flesh.
"Love, honor, and forgive." It is essential to happy and effective marital and interpersonal relationships. It is possible only by the grace of God. It is to that grace that I now commend you.
It is interesting to speculate on how much our divorce rates could be cut down if "forgiveness" were as much a part of the marital relationship as, for instance, the conjugal bed. Divorce might even be outmoded -- or at least reserved for deeply serious cases of incompatibility or negligence.
The word "love" in our day refers to almost everything from apple pie to sexual orgies. Whatever its true and accurate meaning, it certainly must include the ability and willingness to forgive. We could not conceive of divine love apart from forgiveness. Human love, which is essentially a reflection of divine love, is not really love at all unless it is a forgiving love. We may be full of poetry and music toward our mates as long as their affections and activities pamper our egos, but this can hardly be construed as love.
We must "love, honor, and forgive." This must begin with our acceptance of God's incomprehensible love and forgiveness. It must be followed, and this is inculcated in such acceptance, by our ability to forgive ourselves. A humble and honest appraisal of ourselves should certainly make us tender, acceptive, understanding, forgiving toward our mate or fellowman. It does not mean that we must condone our own. But we may have to learn how to tolerate the weaknesses he or she has not yet learned how to transform into strength, the liabilities he or she has not yet turned into assets. We need to accept each other as valid, significant, worthwhile persons, even in the midst of or including our failure-fraught flesh.
"Love, honor, and forgive." It is essential to happy and effective marital and interpersonal relationships. It is possible only by the grace of God. It is to that grace that I now commend you.
