Love Is the Way

Ever since the Royal Wedding last week, I’ve been mulling over that exuberant sermon from Rev. Michael Curry, the Presiding Bishop of the American Episcopal Church.  It’s been the talk of town—along with Meghan’s dress, celebrity sightings, and all those hats.  Curry jolted the formal pomp-and-ceremony atmosphere.  He said:

There’s power in love.  God is love.  Love is the way.  Love will change the world.

That’s about it.  Now there’s some truth in those words, of course.  So what’s not to like about two billion viewers hearing a church leader speak passionately about the power of love, even God’s love?

But I’m troubled over what wasn’t said.  For example, although Curry did mention Jesus’ redemptive love, he said nothing to help people see the grand, primary aim of Jesus’ love—how it atones for sin, sat­isfies God’s just and holy wrath, and makes it possible God’s enemies to become his loved ones forever.  For Curry, saying Jesus’ love is “redemptive” seems to simply mean it’s exemplary and inspiring—implying that the the Christian message is, Get out there and do some good yourself.

Further, he said nothing about the necessity of faith in Christ in order to obtain the saving benefits of divine love—rather, he envisions a universal and “unconditional love of God for the world.”  And he said nothing about how true love in Christ cares profoundly about each person’s eternal destiny—the age to come was completely over­looked; his focus was entirely on the here-and-now.

After his long discourse urging people to “imagine” what will happen when “love is the way,” Curry declared, “My brothers and sisters, that’s a new heaven, a new earth, a new world, a new human family.”  But this contradicts the Bible’s idea of a new heavens and new earth that’s realized in the age to come as the eternal abode of the redeemed, that is, all who trust in Christ and are saved (Rev 21:1-4).

Call me Scrooge, if you like.  But we must make careful and necessary distinctions so we’re not fooled by the mere use of some “gospel-ish” words when there’s no actual, coherent articulation of the good news of Jesus Christ in a way that is faithful to the Bible.  Want a good alternative to Curry’s message?  Read and pray over Ephesians.