READ: SONGS 2:8-3:11
TEXT TO REFLECT: SONGS 3:1-5
On my bed at night,
I sought him whom my soul loves;
I sought him, but found him not.
2 I will rise now and go about the city,
in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my soul loves.
I sought him, but found him not.
3 The watchmen found me
as they went about in the city.
“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
4 Scarcely had I passed them
when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him, and would not let him go
until I had brought him into my mother's house,
and into the chamber of her who conceived me.
5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or the does of the field,
that you not stir up or awaken love
until it pleases.
REFLECT
This passage narrates how deep the girl's longing for her lover was. She was in bed but her lover was nowhere to be found (was this just a dream?). She roused herself from the bed and went into the city to search for him. This was no modern day when it is alright for a girl to be out in the city late at night. In her day, it would not only be unseemly, but dangerous as well for her to be doing so. She was found by the watchmen, implying that the police were looking out for danger and unusual behaviours. Even so, she persisted to search for her lover until she had found him. Then she held on to him and would not let him go, bringing him to her mother's house (presumably to marry him).
This short story speaks of the longing of the human heart for the love of the beloved. We will spare no efforts in our search for the one whom we love and who loves us. We are created to love and until we find true love, we will continue to search. Augustine in his Confessions puts it succinctly, "Our hearts are restless until they rest in you".
This story also reminds me of two parables that Jesus taught in Matthew 13: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Matthew 13:44-46
The Kingdom of God is a treasure that one searches for. It is hidden and one needs to search for it. Like the girl in Songs of Songs, we search relentlessly for this treasure. She won't allow anything to distract her from finding her lover. Not even the dangers of the night will deter her from pursuing her lover.
RELATE
The longing to find God persists in each of us. Nothing can satisfy this longing until we find God. As long as we do not know how full God's love is, we will continue to feel empty and restless. And often this dissatisfaction manifests in obsessions, addictions, and a pursuit of a hedonistic lifestyle. And we cannot find a better solution.
Many years ago, as prison chaplain, I met an inmate who was exceptionally well-read and very eloquent. I was surprised and asked if he had a string of degrees. To my surprise, he said he did not even have a PSLE certificate. But he had read widely in his more than 2 decades in prison. He was so addicted to drugs that the moment he left the prison, he was back on drugs and soon back in prison. He acknowledged that it was a terrible waste of talent, but likened drugs to his wife. He was stuck to it for life. He saw no way out of this addiction. We talked about the abundant life that Jesus promised, and the rivers of living water that would flow from us. At the end of our chat, his eyes were moist as he mused, "maybe I have found the love that is greater than all loves". I don't know if he did. But this encounter forced me to reflect on my life. Was I pursuing the Love that is greater than all loves? Or had I settled for an insipid and empty life, and depending on my obsessions and addictions to get by each day?
The quest for this love continues daily as we discover more and more how God loves us. We will continue to long for a deeper love for God everyday for as long as we live. But each day of knowing His love is a better and more abundant day.
REST
SPIRIT SONG
O let the Son of God enfold you,
with His Spirit and His love.
Let Him fill your heart and satisfy your soul.
O let Him have the things that hold you, and His Spirit like a dove,
Will descend upon your life and make you whole.
Jesus o Jesus, come and fill your lambs,
Jesus O Jesus, come and fill your lambs.
Chiu Ming Li
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