St Augustine’s Anglican Church Hamilton Brisbane
September 10, 2009
CONTACT DETAILS:
OFFICE:
56 Racecourse Rd Phone: 3268 3935
Fax: 3268 4245
Email: staugust@bigpond.com
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday,
Friday 9:30am-12:30pm
Postal address: PO Box 202, Hamilton 4007.
RECTOR: The Rev’d Canon Dr Marian Free
Phone: 0402 985 593
Email:marian.staugust.bigpond.com
Weekly Pew Bulletin
March 28, 2009
A Song of Love
“Sustain me with raisins, refresh me with apples; for I am faint with love. O that his left hand were under my head, and that his right hand embraced me!” These are not the sort of words that we usually associate with scripture. We tend to expect language that is more moderate, more reasoned, more holy! Yet here, almost in the centre of our Bible is a song of a love that is deep and passionate. Two lovers, casting caution to the wind, seek each other out and express their deep longing for each other.
Given our general discomfort with extravagant displays of emotion we might hesitate to read out loud some of the more intimate details that are found in the Song of Songs. On the other hand some of the language clearly belongs to another time. I don’t imagine any young woman today would be flattered to be compared to Pharoah’s mare, or that any young man would be impressed to hear that he was radiant and ruddy with cheeks like beds of spices!
In the past there have been attempts to explain away this awkward and somewhat embarrassing book. We have been told that it is a song of God’s love for us (which begs the question as to why God would use language that is so clearly physical and amorous).
To me, it is clear that it is a love song. I believe that it is included in scripture as a reminder that God does not despise the human condition and that God is not coy or embarrassed about the intimate and physical nature of love. In Jesus, God has taken on human nature in all its fullness. We therefore should freely embrace our humanity knowing that it is not only created by God, but also that God was not afraid to take it on himself – fully and completely.
Let us rejoice in who we are, and especially in the capacity to love and be loved.
