Crazy in love

Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Bern Leckie:

What did I like about today’s passage?

People who haven’t read the Bible think it’s all “thou shalt” and “thou shalt not”, maybe with a few nice stories for kids thrown in. They’re not expecting this! Were you?

It’s not hard to guess the theme of this book from the first few words. It’s all about love, and I love how it plunges deep into romantic fantasy from beginning to end. It’s such a contrast with all that serious religious, legal and political stuff. And it’s not really for kids. If something sounds like it could have a double meaning for intimate, sensual passion, go ahead and enjoy that image because you’re probably right.

Admittedly, some of it sounds a bit odd after translating across cultures and centuries. “Your hair is like a flock of goats” is one of my favourite smooth lines (it reminds me of a Monty Python sketch), and look at your teeth – they come in pairs! (Listen, if you can’t laugh in the bedroom, there’s something wrong.) But let’s go with the flow here. Clearly, she loves him, and he loves her, very, very much.

And there is clearly an emotional journey too, from the nervousness of crossing a threshold, moving from personal concerns to shared love, to the exhilaration of a loving connection in a committed couple, and the frustration and pain of separation from true love.

We are considering something very big and powerful here. No, not just sexual desire! I mean whole-of-life love which overwhelms people, connecting them with God’s creation and his love and passion too.

What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?

God is love. He made it, he supplies it, he understands our desires for it. He wants us to experience the best possible love, which requires us to recognise him and his work. God made us for love, not just to get carried away by loving feelings, but to experience love as an overwhelming driving force in our lives. What else drives our creativity and passion like this?

What am I going to do differently as a result?

Expressing love to my wife is extremely important - not just with words, but with my whole self. I will always want to get better at this. I am glad that God guides us towards this.

Who am I going to share this with?

My wife Helen.