Saturday 08 April 2017

Psalm: Psalm 136:1-19

Background

The writer of the Song of Solomon was not an idealist, and waswell aware of the cost lovers must pay for defying social norms.Love does conquer all, but there is a price to be paid. For love tosurvive it will have to survive the forces of cultural beliefs,family traditions, outside opinions and the lovers' own strengthsand weaknesses. The poet seems to be happy to support the woman'sdesire to love whom she chooses while, at the same time, respectingthe power that custom, tradition and attitudes have to distort eventhe most loving attempts to reform and change minds.

The Song of Solomon is both for the contemplative and therealist. It demands quiet reflection and honesty from its readers.It invites us to explore the complicated world of emotion andfeelings which clash with inherited values and tradition. Nothingin this poem is simple or straightforward.

The central message for us is concerned with the power and thepolitics of love. The poem lays out the risks of loving andchallenges the reader to wonder if love is worth the cost. Therecurring narrative theme of the Bible is that the power of divinelove subverts religious and political systems that oppress andexclude human beings because of their gender, sexuality, beliefs,social standing and all the other reasons we find to justify why weare in but 'they' are out.

The love of God, expressed supremely in the crucified Christ,subverts everything that stands in the way of human beingsreceiving that love and yet the love was expressed in terriblesuffering. Loving as God loves is certainly not a soft option.

To Ponder

• What have you learnt about love from the Song of Solomon?

• What is the challenge here for you as you approach Holy Weekand Good Friday?