Love Songs
by John Sainsbury
If it were possible to do an analysis of every song that had ever been written and categorise them by subject matter, I have a feeling that the number one topic for the songs written over the years would be `love songs.` There’s a variety of themes: love reciprocated, love lost, love sought, or love celebrated in whatever ways; but so many songs that fill our airwaves seem to have that central theme of love at their heart.
So, it may come as little surprise that somewhere near the centre of the Bible there is a book, which we know as Solomon’s Song of Songs, that is, in essence, a love song! Scholars like to discuss the true nature of the song, but few would disagree that, at its heart, it is a song expressing the delight of human love in beautiful poetic language.
It’s a bit like the way the very centre, the heart, of the Temple in Jerusalem is called the Holy of Holies to draw attention to the intensity of the holiness ascribed to that inner place. By calling this song `Solomon’s Song of Songs` the suggestion is that this is the ultimate song of love, the ultimate celebration of one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity; this potential that we have to love and be loved by another.
But, if this is the centre of the Big Story, it’s interesting to note that the entirety of the Bible is bracketed by something else that points to the intensity of human love – marriage! The Genesis creation narrative culminates in the coming together in marriage of Adam and Eve. Then, looking ahead to the book of Revelation, the highpoint of that letter is also seen in a marriage ceremony, as the bridegroom (Jesus) takes his bride (His people) into their new future together.
All of this leads me to think that, at its heart, the story of the Bible is a love story; maybe better put, The Love Story which every other love story is but a small signpost pointing towards.
Whether we know ourselves to be truly loved by another or not, whether that is our current status, or one that we once held, but is now lost, or even whether it is one we have never known, the song suggests that actually we are all intimately involved in a far greater love story than perhaps we have fully appreciated. This song points us towards the love of One who would go to absolutely any lengths to woo us and to love us and to keep us, both now and forever.
There are two principal characters in the Song of Songs, the Lover and the Beloved. And because God, who John describes as `love` (1 John 4:8), is the ultimate one who loves, we can know ourselves to be the ultimate one who is `beloved`. If that is so, as I believe it is, maybe that is something we might want to sing about too!
John Sainsbury and his wife Sue are part of the leadership team at Ellel Grange. John has served as a church leader for many years, most recently as Lead Pastor of the Garstang Free Methodist Church. He has a passion for seeing many brought into the fulness of life that following Christ brings.
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