When Saturday Night Live impersonates you for “World News Tonight,” you know you’re a media sensation. Such was the case for Presiding Bishop Michael Curry this past weekend.
Episcopal folks were already excited that the Presiding Bishop was slated to offer the address at the marriage of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. But I don’t think anyone was prepared for its impact. (If you missed it or only saw the highlights, you should watch the full sermon by clicking here!)
For many royal watchers his message (and its delivery!) turned out to be a revelation. Anticipating mere royal pageantry, viewers actually found themselves in church, moved by an impassioned articulation of an expansive Christian love that included ample quoting of scripture, multiple references to Jesus, forthright acknowledgement of the sin of injustice past and present, and the possibility of a healed and reconciled human family.
If reactions of the press and social media are any gauge, it is a message that is too rarely heard and yet very much yearned for. In these times of religious extremism and secular skepticism, it is an image of Christianity too rarely seen or understood.
As Episcopal schools, we have an enormous opportunity to live out Bishop Curry’s message every day, however imperfect our efforts, however hard it can sometimes be. And if we ever wonder whether our mission as Episcopal schools remains needed and relevant—well, the message of an Episcopal bishop just became more fascinating than the fascinators at a royal wedding.
Related Article:
The Presiding Bishop’s Sermon at the Wedding of Prince Harry & Meghan Markle
Image: Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry gives an address during the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in Windsor, Britain, May 19, 2018. Owen Humphreys/Pool via REUTERS
Bishop Curry in the Media