Recently as you may know, a royal wedding took place in the United Kingdom. Yes, I'm talking about the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince Harry.
I watched the wedding from my friends' laptops-- my friends and I was stuck in the laboratory sorting spiders, insects and other invertebrates, while we streamed the wedding online. Personally, I was amazed by how grand the wedding was. The multitude of the crowds cheered the couple on as the horse-drawn carriages galloped passed them. It must be good to be royalty.
How does one be royalty?
I often joke with my friends that we should try to be royal sometime-- but it is almost an impossibility, none of us are of a royal bloodline, and such privilege is inherited, rather than earned.
The other possible way (excluding the fact you can start your own kingdom) is to be married into one. In fact, one of the features of the wedding that the media played upon is Kate Middleton was a commoner who was made royal by marriage. With a simple vow, Kate Middleton not only becomes Princess Catherine, she also claims equality with the royal bloodline.
The theological implications
Isn't it essentially the Gospel message? Separated from God from sin (Isaiah 59: 1-3), we should not be able to enter in God's presence. And being of perfect purity and holiness, we as sinners cannot ever hope to be reconciled with Him. There is not a thing we can do for redemption.
Yet The Christian God invites us to be with Him. Not by our own works, but by marriage (Revelations 21: 1-4). In such union, not only are we able be with God, we are able to claim his righteousness and holiness. And such redemption cannot be earned-- he chose us, because He loves us (Romans 5:8).
Conclusion
Like any marriage proposal, we reserve the right to reject such a gift. Just remember, Christ invites us as his friends and his bride, and not his slaves.
