Friday – Easter Week Two – Apr 25

Song of Songs

“Song of Solomon 5:16” by Sapphire Dream Photography; flickr

Meditation

Friday of Easter Week Two focuses on the grace of God in the lives of real people. The Psalmist celebrates how God cares for us, never leaving us under the power of death, but instead giving us hope for all aspects of our lives. Real people face real issues. My heart weeps for the families, friends and loved ones of the Malaysian flight 370. Of the South Korean ferry. Of the Ukrainian and Russians that face off and are ready to kill. Of the victims of shootings every day in this country and around the world. Of the doctors killed in Afghanistan. Of the victims of brutality in Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, South America and North America—everywhere there are victims.

The Psalmist rests in the Lord. When the grief is too overwhelming, we cannot find peace without God’s grace.

The Song of Solomon celebrates the equal love of two people—elevating the relationship to one of equality. “I belong to my lover and my lover belongs to me.” The women friends question the bride about her lover—’Where has he gone?’—suggestion there might be an issue that could raise eyebrows. The bride responds that she knows where her love has gone, she can trust her relationship.

The New Testament lesson in I Corinthians restates the basic good news of Christ’s death and resurrection. Something I have observed in studying the Scriptures. The authors of the Bible tend to mention things that are problems. They explain things that were not understood. The 15^th chapter of the epistle to the church in Corinth and Paul is addressing them with the statements that Jesus died and rose again? “I want to remind you…” he says. Apparently, the Corinthian church struggled with whether Christ had died and risen, so Paul had to remind them. Hence, he spells it out precisely.

When I was a child memorizing John 3:16—God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son—I didn’t have to be told it again. That was the core of what I believed. Then, learning on Easter that Jesus rose again was also the core. Yet, here are the Corinthians needing to be reminded of the key points. Jesus died. Jesus was buried. Jesus rose on the third day. Jesus was seen by 500 people and then also by Paul, himself (in an abnormal way when Jesus called to him on the Road to Damascus and then again, in the desert where he received one-on-one training).