I recently officiated
a wedding at which the couple had this reading.
I wasn’t familiar with Housden, but was taken by the poignancy of his
reflection – so much so that I’m sharing it here!
The Recognition
by Roger Housden
I have faith in the value of love’s
enchantment; the rich colors the world takes on in lovers’ eyes. I believe in
the tears of love, the joys of love, in the warmth in the chest that comes when
we feel we have known this person all of our lives and beyond.
For all the challenges it may bring
in distinguishing reality from imagination, the romance of love is one of the
deepest and most integral experiences of being human. It doesn’t come on
demand; rather it chooses us if it is so inclined.
A wholehearted, full-blown romantic
love is one without conditions: no dowry, no big bank account, no promising job
necessary. It is a gift that defies explanation.
A love like this is often called
divine precisely because it comes from a region outside of our conscious minds.
It is a mystery that fills us with an elation, a joy, a sense of life and
meaning beyond and larger than our ordinary lives. It joins us not only to our
beloved but to life as a whole, and even, if we think that way, to God.
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