This is Lat Kiss posting under Harley's login. We were at the cowboy match when Horse Doc and Appaloosa Honey were married. The minister performing the ceremony was Preacher Be Quick (he was- very quick when shooting). It was a lovely ceremony- a wedding amongst 100 friends, family, well- wishers.
Preacher Be Quick came prepared- brought his own shotgun, even made reference to it in the opening of the ceremony. He then read his own version of I Corinthians 13, which starts out- Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal..[KJV]
His version made quite an impression on the gathering. I am posting that same version here for all to enjoy- some of us again and others for the first time.
I Corinthians 13 – Cowboy Version©
“If I speak with authority about loads and bullet weights, but have not love, I am only an empty windbag filling the air with useless noise. If I have an R. O. II pin and can fathom all the mysteries and knowledge of the Shooter’s Handbook, and have a real Colt, not a clone, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to stock my closet with cowboy hats, clothes and boots and even donate my old clothes and lend my back up guns to the poor new shooters; and watch endless videos about transitions, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy another’s time, it does not boast of it’s power factor, it is not too proud of it’s engraved guns. Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in misses and procedurals but rejoices in clean stages regardless of time. It always gives others the benefit of the doubt and always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. Cowboy matches will cease; Cowboy guns will fail; Cowboy carts will become heavy; Cowboy feet will get sore; for Cowboy-ing is a game and all games have an end. And though we know the Cowboy Way and we love the Spirit of the Game and we honor the truths of loyalty, friendship, kindness and generosity; none of those truths has any power without love. And if by chance and by faith we glimpse the eternal God in each other it is because of love. And in that love is the seed of our true humanity for we were created by love and for love and our response to love is commitment and tenacious caring in the belief that one day we will fully understand ourselves and each other.
And when all life’s steel is rung and all the spent brass of our efforts is picked, we will be declared “all clear” at the last table because of love.”
©2009 Phil Majors
