Thursday 06 April 2017
- Bible Book:
- Song of Solomon
“I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me.” (v. 10)
Psalm: Psalm 135:1-7
Background
In one of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius, we are invitedto seek God in the deepest desires of our hearts. Talk of God anddesire do not often appear in the same sentence in ProtestantChristianity, but when our desires are becoming more aligned withthe desires of God, the desire of our hearts is God, theBeloved.
The language of the Song of Solomon is full of sexual imageryand rich intimations about lovemaking, but there is always anundercurrent about the dark and dangerous side of human passion.This poem is not God's permission for indulging in unbridled sexualactivity and it is not all about romance and sex. It is about lovestruggling to survive against all the odds. As the story of the twolovers draws to a close we become powerfully aware that theirs is alove that has been beset by powers and forces which looked likethey would overwhelm them (
A week today we will be reminded again of Jesus' immensestruggle with love for God and love for humanity in the Garden ofGethsemane (Mark 14:32-42). Jesus prays that he might bereleased from the suffering to come, but only if it is God's will.The desire of Jesus' heart is to do his Father's will, and becauseof love he submits to the cruellest of deaths. The love of Jesusfor humankind is passionate and unlimited. Because Jesus loves tothe uttermost, he is wide open to suffering, the two belongtogether, but the suffering does not overwhelm him.
To Ponder
- What is the desire of your heart?
- What examples can you think of, of people loving to theuttermost in the wider world? What might you learn from them? Givethanks to God for them.