Thoughts on Divine Love

Reflection Day 214

Song of Songs 7-8; Psalm 25; I Thessalonians 2

The Song of Songs comes to a resounding finale as the woman seems to send her lover away and call him to her at the same time. In this passage divine love is interpreted as forever in progress with the coming and going of passion and desire.

The psalmist also struggles with the coming and going of divine love pleading for mercy, “…do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me;” asking forgiveness, “…pardon my guilt, for it is great;” and finally awaiting redemption, “O guard my life, and deliver me…Redeem Israel , O God, out of all its troubles.”

Paul’s words to the Thessalonians shine a bright light on divine love and its need for continual care as our perception of it ebbs and flows as we proceed through our life’s journey. His words of encouragement and exhortation to the members of his community in Thessoloniki portray the difficult journey of a disciple in holding onto divine love: “…but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated in Phillipi, as you know we had courage in our God in spite of great opposition.”

Our perception of divine love ebbs and flows. Sometimes, indeed not infrequently, it is impossible to us to see or feel this love – God’s love. Yet, as human beings, our hearts and souls are naturally inclined to love and to be loved – by God and by others. Thomas Merton put it nicely…

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it. Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.”
― Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude

As the psalmist in Psalm 25 sings out, “To you of Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust.”