Song
of Solomon 2:10-13
10 My
beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away;
11 for
now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
12 The
flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come,
and
the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
13 The
fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth
fragrance.
Arise,
my love, my fair one, and come away.
As I write these words, a snowstorm
looms on the horizon, preparing to blow in frosty temperatures and drop a
half-foot on us. We have already been through weeks of cold and ice. In the
dark, depth of winter, it is difficult to imagine days when it will be warm
again. Yet before the next newsletter, the grass will be green, the azaleas
will be in full bloom, and we will have celebrated Easter, the resurrection of
our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
When we are caught up in the winter
struggles of life, it becomes very difficult to see and imagine the blossoming
warmth of a new life and new future coming to us. When we suffer illness and
pain, it is hard to remember life without it. When things that we love are
taken from us, whether a job or a friend, a spouse or a child, the cold
darkness can seem to go on forever. When our church is struggling, there seems
no end to the strife.
These verses from Song of Solomon,
God's love song to God's people, remind us that God is always coming to us from
a bright future where singing has resumed, health has been restored, and new
life is abundant. Our Lord Jesus promises in John 14:18 "I will not leave
you orphaned; I am coming to you." Jesus is with us in the winter, and
Jesus is coming to us, bringing new life of spring, of Easter, from the
promised future God has prepared for us. The winter is short, but our time of
rejoicing in God's steadfast love will endure forever.
