JULY222023

The Bible did not fall from the sky but grew gradually during the history of Israel. The Hebrew Bible was not put in its final form until after the fall of Jerusalem, sometime around 100AD. The Rabbis had long debates on whether to include the Song of Songs in the Bible. After all, it is an erotic love poem and doesn’t mention God! That they eventually did is testimony to the fact that our relationship with God is basically a love story. As anyone who has read a romance novel, or really anyone who has ever lived, love stories have ups and downs. Maybe the Song of Songs is particularly appropriate for our time when so many people have lost the traditional way of finding God in religion. On my bed at night I sought him whom my heart loves– I sought him but I did not find him. As Mary Magdalene, the apostle to the apostles, demonstrates sometimes it is only after tears that you find what you’re looking for.