There are three themes running through the Song of Songs:  love’s yearning, love’s difficulties, and love’s response.  The book is a love poem in which two people in love share their thoughts and feelings about one another and with one another.  The New International Version refers to the man as the Lover and the woman as the Beloved.  The first words in the Song are “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth…”  It is nothing more than a direct and passionate appeal for closeness and intimacy.

The Beloved longs for the touch of her lover’s lips upon hers.

“Intimacy”, says a philosopher, “is a requirement of wholeness; life to be meaningful must be joined”.  How true this is in the realm of the soul as well as the physical.  The soul, you see, longs to be kissed as much as sometimes the lips do.  What we all long for deep down is to be loved—and loved romantically.  Where love is missing, the soul will forever remain dissatisfied.

Jesus, Lover of my soul, help me see even more clearly that the deepest longings of my heart are not for prestige, or power, but passion.  I am made for love, romantic love.  Your love.  Help me to be open to that love for without it my soul shrivels and dies.  Amen

Technique:  The transparency of the Beloved’s body is to show how the Lover sees right through her and loves her anyway.