Do not stare at me because I am dark, because I am darkened by the sun. My mother’s sons were angry with me and made me take care of the vineyards; my own vineyard I had to neglect. – Song of Songs 1:6

Today’s Scripture Reading (October 21, 2019): Song of Songs 1

I recently had an opportunity to watch a fairytale with my grandchildren. The story itself was a variant of a very old story, the same tale on which more familiar stories like Cinderella are based. It was the story of a young girl who is born into an affluent family. With money, comes privilege. And sometimes privilege has a way of changing us, but that was not the case with this girl. She was a nice girl and a friendly girl to everyone around her, no matter what their circumstances might have been. But times have a way of changing. In this version of the standard fairy tale, Dad dies, forcing his daughter to survive in a w1rld from which he had previously protected her. In the case of the story I watched with my grandchildren, the daughter had been sent to a boarding school and pampered by the staff there; until the moment of her father’s death.

When Dad dies, his daughter was forced to transform herself from a “princess” to a “common serving girl.” Amazingly, even though her new life means that she seldom has enough food to eat or sufficient time to get a good night’s sleep, the girl remains unchanged. She is still a friendly, nice little girl who believes that there are still good things that can happen in this world in the future.

Of course, in the end, she is rescued. A business partner of her deceased father returns the money that had been taken from her and restores her to a position of affluence. And we cheer the restoration. But then again, it is what we expect. Because, at least in fairy tales, good people get to live happily ever after.

Sometimes we miss the fairy tale element that is present in the Song of Songs. We recognize that the story is a celebration of sexual love and that it is unusual because there is no mention of God or his justice and righteousness. It is not a story of Israel. On the surface, It is the story of sexual love between Solomon and one of his wives.

But it is also the ending of a fairytale. The woman pleads that, even though she believes that she is lovely, Solomon would not look down on her because of her sun-darkened skin. The problem with her skin is that she has been stained by the sun; she has been forced to work in the sun, something that a woman of affluence would never have to do. She even points to a “fairytale-like” cause for her condition; she was forced by her angry bothers to work in their vineyards. Solomon’s bride is not a princess; she is an ordinary worker in the field.

And yet, this woman, stained by the sun and rejected by her family, has been lifted up and restored by Solomon because of love. I hope that we all get to know that kind of a fairy tale ending.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Song of Songs 2