Draw Me Kiss Me

Hark! my lover–here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattices. 

My lover speaks; he says to me, "Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come! "For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come!

Today is the winter solstice.  It’s the day with the fewest hours of sun.   Ironically the above passage from the Song of Songs tells us that winter is past and flowers have appeared.  Quite the tease since light is at its lowest and the ground is frozen with days of gloom and darkness.   It can be a depressing time of year.

So the Song awakens us to the fact that days will begin to get longer when we will listen to the doves again and smell the blooms.  It’s a reason for us to hope and remind ourselves that darkness doesn’t last.  That the message of Christmas as well.

Who is this lover likened to a leaping gazelle or stag gazing through our windows and peering through our lattices?  Sounds like a peeping Tom.  This lover says arise and come my beloved.   He’s bold and flirtatious to say the least.

The Lord is the lover and the people are the beloved.  The Song of Songs is a masterpiece of writing and invention.  It should be read in its entirety.   It begins: “Let him kiss me with kisses of his mouth!  More delightful is your love than wine!…Draw me! – We will follow you eagerly!  Bring me, O king, to your chambers…”

Well, well. 

Deacon David Pierce