Today’s Scripture Reading (April 28,
2013): Song of Songs 4
In the fifth
book of the George R. R. Martin’s epic story “A Song of Ice and Fire” (which
has become more popularly known as “The Game of Thrones”) we find an all too
familiar story of a man who feels that the only way that he can prove his power
is to dominate the woman that he is married to. In this case the man was an
illegitimate born son of a ruler whose rise to power only seemed to be because
there was simply no one else. No one values him, and so he does not value
anyone else either. And it is those that are closest to him – including his new
bride – that suffers the consequences for the way that he feels. And that is
tragic, but even more tragic is that those who are near him learn to accept it,
they drink in the feelings of their own inadequacies and, as a result, the
cycle simply continues with them.
It is not an
unknown story in the reality of our lives. We know the story. If we have not
experienced the story, we know someone who has. They are our neighbors, and our
acquaintances, and sometimes even our friends – and we weep with them and for
them. Some of us, in the quiet moments of our lives, can also look inside of
ourselves and see the areas of our own lives where our growth has been stunted
because of the things that have happened to us. It was not supposed to be this
way – but that does not change the reality that it is that way. But we want it
to be different.
There is no
way that we can look at Solomon’s growing up years, and the way that he was
damaged simply because of the way his family was. It was the competition with
his brothers for the throne of Israel, the death of siblings way too soon all
because of the actions that they committed – and all of this had to have an
effect on Solomon, but he is valiantly trying to refuse to let all of the negative
come out in his actions with the ones that are closest to him. Solomon
demonstrates the art of “positive communication” with his bride. He tells her
that she is beautiful – words that every woman needs to hear. And then he
starts to describe her. Now, your hair is like goats descending off of a hill
may not sound beautiful to us, but it would have to Solomon’s beloved. In
Solomon’s day the goats would have been dark in color and at the end of the day
as the sun was setting behind the hills and the goats were coming down the
hill, there was this beautiful flowing motion to the sight. And as he looks at
the dark hair of his bride, he tells her that it is this beautiful image that
he sees when he looks at her.
There is so
much negative in our lives. It comes to us whether we want it or not. And the
only way that we can overcome the damage that is being done to us on almost a
daily basis is if the people who are closest to us continually remind us of why
we are beautiful – and valuable. And as much as we need that positive energy
from them, they need it from us. It is the relational covenant that we need to
take hold of if we want this world to ever be a place of peace and hope.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Song of
Songs 5
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