Today brought the momentous result that the citizens of the Republic of Ireland had voted to change their constitution to accept equal marriage. This from a country that only repealed laws making homosexual acts illegal two decades ago.
What an amazing day, where people have shown their compassion, understanding and support for the principles of equality.
Sadly there are still many countries in the world where marriage rights are not equal, and indeed where members of the LGBT community are persecuted.
What change society is able to embrace. It's frankly astounding. This is the first time the population of any country have specifically voted for such a law change in a referendum.
The other sad thing is that the motivation and energy behind the objections come from religious groups. Such a shame that some people are so busy highlighting the bits of their favoured religious texts that indicate what people should or shouldn't be able to do in the name of love, but ignore all the bits that say about getting on with other people, living a life of love and understanding. Not judging other people. You know all that sort of stuff that you really throw out the window the moment you start pointing at anyone and undermining the validity of their love.
It's all about love guys and girls. Everything, it's all about love. When we have it we are driven by it, saved by it. When we don't have it, we are driven to find it. I don't just mean the love of another person, I mean the love of the complex but amazing world we live in. Loving the depth of human feeling and the ability to share, grow, care and hope. Loving the rain. Loving the sun.
There's plenty to love about the world that surrounds us, plenty to love about the people that we meet. If you're not able to find the joy in everything, you won't be able to find it in anything.
Well done Ireland. Well done.
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