20- my True Love gave to me...

"God told them, "I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love,

and more love!"

-Jeremiah 31:3

(The Message)

Most of my morning was spent sticking posters up onto our class cork board. The theme this month at Lidget Green is (not surprisingly) "Christmas Around the World." It presents a unique opportunity for me, since I find myself a foreigner in a foreign land. The year 5 class next to me is going to hear about Christmas in Norway on Thursday morning from our classes other co-teacher June, and yesterday, I told my class all about Christmas in the States!

In any event, back to the board. After tacking up all the variants of "Merry Christmas" in 20 languages, I put up the 12 days of Christmas and their religious significance. I never knew each of the 12 days stands for something in the Christian tradition; 2 turtle doves = Old and New Testament, 5 gold coins = the pentatuch, 10 Lords a' leaping = 10 commandments, etc...

Preceeding every gift is the repeating phrase: "my true love gave to me..." In the song, God is his true love, coninually lavishing gifts upon him. In the 90s the idea of a "divine romance" became a really popular topic for Christian fiction and study series. Even in college I remember doing a bible study on the Song of Solomon, which conviently turned into an evangelical exploration of our love affair with Jesus. Everything fit for the first few chapters, it was only when we had to discuss the implications of the bridegroom announcing to the bride: "I want to climb your tree and grab your coconuts (Song of Solomon 7:3)," that things got awkward. 


Putting aside the creepy, all-to-specific bride-groom/bride stuff, the picture we have of God being the lover of our souls is pretty beautiful. In Searching for God Knows What, Donald Miller reveals that Shakespear actually intended Romeo and Juliet to be a methaphor for God and the split church in England. Infact, he argues that without this plot in mind the story doesn't even really make sense. 


Romantics read: "Deny thy father and refuse thy name! Be but sworn by love!" - and think, "awww, such a beautiful statement! Denying everything for the one you love!"


Yet, they read: "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one's own self!—can't be my disciple." and think, "wow, Jesus is really harsh. I hate religion like that."


Isn't this the same thing? If we share a divine romance with God, would not our sacrifices for Him make sense? Especially, when in return (as the 12 days point to) God holds up his side of the sacrifice? 


If you haven't heard of Phil Wickham, you're about to. He's a very talented singer/songwriter form California, and this is my favorite song of His...