Girl in a Gown
who is this bride who stands
gazing into her own eyes and
swoons before her own image in the looking glass?
silly girl
she will miss the party of her life
who is this bride who
now hides her face from her suitor
behind veils of stubborn self-reliance
as though she could somehow be married
to her own reflection
silly girl
she wears her religion like a bad habit
and will go from maiden to maid
having never entered the covenant
nor having ever been entered into
and celebrated as a holy place
silly girl
so self-satisfied with your appearance
in a gown that was made to be taken off
will that gown provide any warmth for you
as you pass into the abyss alone?
tragically silly girl
pointlessly beautiful
and all alone on a Saturday night
***
Recently my friend got married.
Although the wedding was a really fun occasion which involved the riveting performance of a Cowboy Junkies song, the presentation of a matrimonial omelet spatula, and a recessional to the theme for Raiders of the Lost Ark, the most memorable part of that day for me was the look that my friend wore upon his tear-streaked face as his soon-to-be bride moved gracefully up the aisle. It was beautiful and real
I’ll never forget that look, and I can’t wait to see it on the face of God.
There are numerous bible passages which invite us to see the relationship between God and his people as marital. The saga of Hosea and Gomer is rich with significance here; Song of Songs/Solomon has been allegorically interpreted by some in order to explore how God might express his love for his people. John the Baptist specifically uses the bride metaphor in order to somehow explain his relationship to the Christ- comparing himself to the man who holds the ring, rather than the man who places it on the finger of the most beautiful girl in the room (John 3.29). Later, we read in Revelation (21.2, 9) of the cosmic bride, beautifully adorned and prepared for her husband. This bride is dressed in costume so rich in significance that the groom’s breath is literally taken away in that moment when he first sees her on the day that begins their life together.
Fine, so what does this have to do with anything?
I believe that worship is the dress. It is the bride’s preparation for everything that will begin at the wedding feast and continue throughout eternity. It is liturgy, sermons, hymns, worship songs, inspirational readings, poetry recitation, multi-media pomo laser shows, inspirational painting and pot-throwing, as well as giving to the poor, rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who mourn, serving widows and orphans… all the great things that draw us closer to Christ because they are so effective at blocking out the self-absorbed radio interference of life on planet earth so that we can become truly aware of his presence and his love.
The bride is beautiful and she knows it, but the holy adornments actually interfere with the wedding celebrations because they have become an end in themselves. She finds herself standing in front of the mirror admiring the dress, rather than getting on with the wedding.
Does the church lose track of Jesus in all the business of being religious? Artistic? Innovative? Politically correct? Cutting edge? Missional? Are there things that can keep the bride hidden from the eye of God because they have become more important than the relationship that Jesus died to repair? If so, they become, not a wedding dress but the filthy rags described in Isaiah 64.6.
Back to the story of my friend. what might his face have conveyed, had he been left to stand alone at the altar? The tears would still be there, and the reason for them would be equally as memorable… Perhaps hell is knowing for all eternity that you broke the pan-dimensional heart that, inspired by love, created the universe and longed for you to join him in the centre of it… Pointless beauty and isolation rather than consummation.
As we adorn the bride with things of beauty, let’s continue to remember that worship is a gown that is made to be taken off.
Created over 3 years ago
