Michael Curry Says Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Chose Bible Verses for Sermon Heard by 2 Billion

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Bishop Michael Curry, the head of The Episcopal Church, said Tuesday that Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, picked the scripture he preached on at the royal wedding.

Curry, who supports same-sex marriage, garnered international attention for the passionate sermon he preached at Saturday's royal wedding, which was watched by an estimated 2 billion people worldwide.

Curry preached from Song of Solomon 8:6–7, which 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."

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In an interview with the hosts of "The View" on Tuesday, Curry said that the verses he preached on were chose by the royal couple themselves.

"They selected the scripture passage, I didn't select that. And they [picked] the Song of Solomon from the Hebrew scriptures right in the Bible, which is love poetry," explained Curry.

"Literally, in the passage that they selected, it was when the woman in the poetry actually realizes that their love that they're experiencing is part of a greater love. And that's pointing in the direction of the God Who is the source of all this love."

Curry added that by selecting the scripture and by showing a genuine love for each other, the royal couple "had preached the sermon before I ever opened my mouth."

On Saturday, the world watched as Prince Harry married American actress Meghan Markle in a service held at St George's Chapel in Windsor, England.

Invited by the couple to preach at the service, Curry gave a message that centered on the power of love and included a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr: "We must discover the power of love, the power, the redemptive power of love. And when we do that, we will make of this whole world a new world. But love, love is the only way."

"There is power in love. Don't underestimate it. Don't even over-sentimentalize it. There is power, power in love," preached Curry.

"Someone once said that Jesus began the most revolutionary movement in human history. A movement grounded in the unconditional love of God for the world. And a movement mandating people to live and love ad in so doing, to change not only their lives but the very life of the world itself."

Curry's sermon garnered immense attention, with some labeling the Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop "the breakout star of the royal wedding."

Some, including theological conservatives, were critical of liberal church leader Curry preaching at the royal wedding, as it gave him a platform.

Others took issue with his presence, given that The Episcopal Church continues to initiate litigation against conservative breakaway congregations over their property.

Andrew Gross, communications director for the Anglican Church in North America, posted a statement to his Facebook page arguing that evangelicals who cheer on Curry's sermon are "being played."

"The guy who talked about 'love' from that English pulpit is currently litigating Christians with whom he disagrees. The guy who talks about the 'Jesus movement' took the church buildings and defrocked those who stood up for the Gospel," wrote Gross.

"The reaction to a false teacher being given the platform at the royal wedding was a spiritual temperature gauge. The results show that a lot of the western church is running a dangerous fever."