ON THE VANGUARD

LOVE LETTERS
“Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens. Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men.”
Song of Solomon 2:2-3a

Isn’t love a great feeling? Personally I have been in love and few times, not to get confused with lust or just a strong liking. In the early days, before computers and text messages, and video chats, I would actually spend time writing love letters to the girls I had feelings for. For hours I would pour out my feelings in pen on paper and list the things that I was drawn to in that person. I would doodle on the page, drawing little flowers or hearts or our initials together. I never really expected a response in return because not every girl I loved loved me back or was a (self proclaimed) poet like me. But when the response was given, if it was given, despite the length of the letter or the grammar errors, the feeling was the same. Love was great and it gave me such a high.
As I have been reading the words of Solomon, and specifically looking at the loving words found in Song of Solomon, I have been taking notes. I mean, this guy was good. He knew the words to say to his lover to make her feel like she was royalty. And as a guy who is dating currently, I will take all the help I can get. I don’t mind even sharing that I just may write a few of his lyrics down and share them with the one I love.
Look with me at the words and response found in Song of Solomon 2:2-3a. He, Solomon, writes, “Like a lily among thorns is my darling among the maidens.” Solomon is basically saying that in a thicket of thorny branches one flower sticks out and grabs his attention. That flower is this woman, his Shulammite lover. And her response is, “Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest is my lover among the young men.” She in return is saying to him that other men, in this case trees, can be seen, but she sees only him. And is that not how love is? The saying ‘love is blind’ is true in this instance as we read that both Solomon and the Shulammite have eyes only for each other.
Now while I indeed my use Solomon’s words in my next love letter to my special woman, I cannot help but wonder why this passage, or even this book, is found in the Bible. I have narrowed to two reasons, though. First, I think in some ways God knew that love was going to get tainted. Love isn’t sex, love isn’t butterflies, and love isn’t slavery. Love is a true deep feeling that God crafted for His creation. If we read through the rest of this book we will find these two get married, they celebrate the marriage with consummation, they share an argument, and they come back together to grow in a deepened, mature love. They made it work even when it got tough. I think God wanted this book here because He wanted us to have this picture of what love really is. But secondly, I believe this book is here to show not only a man and woman love, but His love for us. You see, to Christ we are His bride. He has looked over all the world and calls us His lily among the thorns. He is waiting for us to respond that He is our apple tree among all the trees of the forest. Can we say that of Him?
I challenge you today to read this book. It is small, poetic, and only eight chapters. But I challenge you to read it with Him as the Solomon character, the groom and husband in your relationship. See how He feels about you. See how He cares for you. And pay attention to His description of you. Maybe I am just a lost romantic, but I think it may help to fall a little deeper in love with Him again as you read His love letter to you.