A Stronger Alloy


Introduction

This is a homily I prepared for a wedding held at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Beatrice, Neb., on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009.

Readings

Proverbs 3:3-6
Psalm 128
1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13
Matthew 5:14-16

Message

The kind of love that St. Paul praises
in the famous passage he wrote to the Corinthians
is like an alloy of precious metals in a ring.

By mixing two distinct metals together
under intense heat,
a metal smith can create a new alloy
that is stronger and more lustrous
than either of the original metals.

The love that “bears all things,
believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things” is an alloy
of the love that treasures
all that is good in life,
mixed with the love that
willingly gives up all things,
even life itself,
for the sake of the other. (1 Corinthians 13:7, NRSV)

For us, as Christians,
the life and death of Jesus Christ
show us these two kinds of love.
He never found anyone
too small and insignificant
to be beneath his dedicated attention.
But he also found our broken lives
so in need of healing and reconciliation
that he sacrificed himself,
dying on the cross that we might truly live
in love as his brothers and sisters.

Christ did this for us and for all people
because of his love for us.
And whenever we see love in action,
it echoes that sacrificial love.
This means that the love sustaining your marriage,
Jennifer and Robert,
is the kind of love
that shows itself in patience, kindness,
humility, and generosity.

When people look at you and your relationship,
they see the image of God’s love for us
reflected in the polished alloy of your love.
You take on this responsibility
by creating this alloy here today,
but you don’t need to bear it alone.

You have one another, and together,
you both have God,
who promises his presence
and steadfast commitment
to your new family.

Because of this loving promise of God,
you can follow, in faith, the direction
the writer of Proverbs shares with us:
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NRSV).

When you trust in God, by faith,
you will know the peace that comes
from placing your hope
in a love that conquers death,
that blesses us in our relationships,
that promises us eternal life,
and that reflects the never-ending light of God. Amen.