A royal wedding; a real-life example of a commoner, an American at that, becoming a princess. What could be better?
Add to this a break in tradition thanks to the bride’s racial heritage and previous marriage along with the pomp and regalia that surrounds such an event, and it’s no surprise so many tuned in to see the beautiful Meghan Markle wed the boyishly handsome Prince Harry.
According to Nielson data, some 29 million people tuned into the big event, watching the royal wedding on 15 different cable and broadcast networks. A Christian Post article estimates the worldwide number to be around 2 billion. To put these numbers in perspective, consider the following viewership numbers for major entertainment and sporting events:
- The Super Bowl enjoyed a reported 103.4 million viewers in February.
- Top broadcast television shows Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory have around 11.5 million viewers weekly.
- Game of Thrones, one of the top shows in cable, typically enjoys around 10 million viewers a week.
The royal wedding was viewed on a large scale, a fact that was discussed in depth on the View when Michael Curry recently made an appearance. What makes the amount of viewers significant is the fact that Meghan and Harry used the opportunity to share their faith with the 2 billion viewers who were watching worldwide.
Bishop Michael Curry, who is the head of the Episcopal Church and who was honored to officiate the now Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s service, said the couple chose what he was to preach at the royal wedding.
“They selected the scripture passage, I didn’t select that,” he said. “And they picked the Song of Solomon from the Hebrew scriptures right in the Bible, which is love poetry. Literally, in the passage that they selected, it was when the woman in the poetry actually realizes that the love they’re experiencing is part of a greater love. And that’s pointing in the direction of the God Who is the source of this love.”
The Song of Solomon passage that was preached is found in chapter 8 and verses 6-7 in the Song of Solomon. It reads, “Set me as a seal upon your heart, a seal upon your arm. For love is as strong as death. Passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire. A raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it out.”
According to Curry, the message this couple bestowed upon the world is one of love. More specifically, God’s love.
“Someone once said that Jesus began the most revolutionary movement in human history,” he added. “A movement grounded in the unconditional love of God for the world. And a movement mandating people to live and love and in so doing, to change not only their lives but the very life of the world itself.”
However, the sign of faith was not without criticism.
Andrew Gross, who is the communications director for the Anglican Church in North America, was quick to point out that Curry’s beliefs aren’t always in line with conservative values. He went as far as saying that those who commend the sermon are being played. While that might or might not be true, the sermon that took place during the royal wedding should be considered overwhelmingly positive for those of the Christian faith. The message was a good one.
The elite from around the world contemplated who did and who didn’t get that coveted invite to the reception, and there was talk about who danced with whom at said event. There were even discussions about the lack of makeup present on the newest royal’s face during her nuptials.
Though it was interesting for those in fashion to contemplate who wore what and the hats were of course, simply amazing, it was the message of love, of God’s love, that was the most powerful and impressive and newsworthy aspect of the day.
~ 1776 Christian
