Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave.
“The whole meaning of life is fulfilled where there is love”. So wrote Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the selected commentator for this section of the Song of Solomon. He continues, “What do happiness and unhappiness mean, what do wealth and poverty mean, what do honor and disgrace mean, what does living at home or abroad mean, what does life and death mean where people live in love?” He basically says that the only thing that matters, the only thing that makes our life matter is that we live in love. With love, all of the other conditions in which we find ourselves are irrelevant.
Bonhoeffer did not live a full life of married blissful love. He was engaged 3 months before he was imprisoned, and the corresponded as much as the Nazis would allow for two years before he was hanged. And yet, he writes of love being so important and powerful that it overtakes all other human conditions. Life matters because of love, regardless of which type of love it is.
The Song of Songs is focused on eros, or erotic love. Scholars have read into it that it also applies to the love of or by Mary, which I believe would be considered storge, or familial love. Or it could be about God’s love, which would be more like agape, or universal love. Greek has several words for love in addition to these three, including pragma: enduring love; ludus: playful love; and philia: deep friendship.
IF we are to round out our understanding of the simple English word love, with all of these nuances from Greek, I absolutely agree with Bonhoeffer. Nothing else matters but love.
I have dear friends, some from before kindergarten. I love them, and am loved by them. And life is sweeter because of them. I have professional colleagues who I love. I have deceased parents who I love, kids both near and far that I love. Life is so much better with that love. Of course it is also harder because of that love. My parents’ deaths were harder because of love. Separation from my kids is harder because of love. Spats with friends, distances from friends, estrangements from friends is all harder because of love. And all of those problems are worth it, because the love for and from those people is so sweet.
Perhaps sweetest of all is the love I share with my husband. Today is our 32 anniversary. We’re living like we’re camping in this big old, coal and lead infested house, and soon going to be walking down the street to the gym where we take our showers. And none of that matters because of the love we share. Our sick loved one is currently doing pretty well, but never makes life easier is a blessing, because of the love I have for them, and is so tolerable because of the love I share with my husband.
I am not likely to ever write that my husband's ‘legs are alabaster columns set upon bases of gold”. But I do know that life is assuredly sweeter because of our love.
As I sit here and write, I’m feeling washed over by all of the love I have for my colleagues, and especially dear friends and family. I know that God’s love is greater and absolutely unconditional. Knowing that, I should be walking around in a blissful, loved cloud all the time. This morning, I’m thinking about how to better sense God’s love, and to be grateful for the love I share with people here and now.
No comments:
Post a Comment