So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. -1 Corinthians 13:13
As I reflect on our 2018 St Luke’s on Broadway series, I have sweet memories of going with my Mom to Saturday matinee performances at a small Theatre in the Round in Houston. She surprised me with season tickets that year, and although I was young, I knew that for us it was an extravagant gift. I treasured the opportunity to spend that one- on-one time with my Mom and loved every minute!
Now, I am not from a family with musical abilities or acting talent, but the magic of the theatre captivated me. With the stage being set in the center of the round theatre, no seat was further than sixty feet away. Our seats were up close, and on the aisle, where the actors entered and exited the stage. I truly experienced the shows unfolding before me. Some of the shows I remember most were Carnival, The King and I, Carousel, and South Pacific.
What I didn’t fully understand or appreciate at the time was that our theatre was bringing in talent from a Broadway national touring company. I was mesmerized by Anna Maria Alberghetti, an Italian opera singer and actress, in her role as Lili in Carnival. What I saw was a beautiful young woman with a crystal-clear soprano voice that took my breath away. What I learned later was that she starred on Broadway and won a Tony Award in 1962 for Best Actress in that role!! Our seats were close to the dressing rooms, so we waited after the performance for me to get her autograph. She was very kind to me.
The theme song from Carnival is Love Makes the World Go ‘Round. Love is one of the most powerful of our emotions. We all hunger for love, and we know love is expressed in many ways. There are four unique types of love found in the Bible and they vary greatly in intensity. Eros is sensual or romantic love, Storge is the love of family, Philia is brotherly love and Agape love represents as Christ loves us. the Divine love that comes from God. It is a perfect, unconditional, sacrificial and pure love. As Christians, we want to be generous, forgiving and compassionate enough to love people unconditionally, but our humanness gets in the way. We try to love fully, but we sometimes fall short. Although we will never be perfect, I am grateful for a God of Grace who has come to show us the way and encourages us to love as Christ loves us.
-Marsha Long, Director of Hospitality Ministry
