“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm,for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave.Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.If one offered for love all the wealth of one’s house, it would be utterly scorned.” Song of Songs 8:6-7
It strikes me as odd that so much of the world’s discourse reflects anger and vitriol these days. There’s tension everywhere all the time, from the grocery store to the evening news. We walk around on pins and needles, anxious that we might offend, worried about what people will think, avoiding conflict where we can.
We were made for more than this, anxious wads who worry about things we imagine we can control but can’t, or things we could positively impact but don’t. A friend once said to me that the only person I’m accountable for and to is the person in the mirror. I’ve always resisted that, in part because every part of my life is first and foremost accountable to the Source. In light of our systemic attachment to hostility, retreating to the bathroom mirror may seem our only safe and happy place.
Nevertheless, the love songs of our sacred texts invite us to change our posture towards the world. Relax the fist, lower the volume, breathe. Imagine that dearest person who loves you unconditionally, the source of your delight. In presence or memory, they remind you that nothing can quench love, the greatest power in the cosmos that will not be extinguished even through death.
A couple I know married recently, close to their ninth decade of life. Their inspired passion and unshakable friendship sustained them through significant trials that would have led many others to despair. Their love for one another and their faith in the God through whom all manner of things are made well sustained them. Such love and affection between friends provide a potent antidote for our current crisis.
Savor the thought of your beloved in the imagination of your heart, whether they live or have gone to glory. Remembering them, read the following unashamed confession of affection. Carry that love forward like a torch into whatever you’re up against or is up against you. Through the love that uttered you and your love for one another, you will prevail.
“It is such a great joy to have the consolation of someone’s affection, someone to whom one is deeply united by the bonds of love; someone in whom our weary spirit may find rest, and to whom we may pour out our soul, someone whose conversation is as sweet as a song in the tedium of daily life. Such a friend will be a refuge to creep into when the world is too much for us; someone to whom we can confide all our thoughts. Their presence is a gift, a comforting kiss that heals the sickness of our preoccupied hearts. A friend will always be on hand to consult in times of uncertainty.
“In fact we are so deeply bound to our friends in our hearts that even when they are far away, we feel united in spirit, together and yet alone. The world may fall asleep all around you, but you will experience your soul at rest, embraced by a profound peace. Your two hearts will lie in quiet together, united as if they were one, as the grace of the Holy Spirit flows over you both.” Aelred of Rievaulix, The Mirror of Charity
God’s grace, mercy and peace be with you,
Rev. Dr. Anna V. Copeland
Senior Minister, The Community Church of Vero Beach, Florida
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