There is something shining about love, more specifically, about romance. Even little children recognize it. You’ve seen them giggle delightedly when the bride and groom kiss, turning their little eyes away from the brightness of the moment. The sheer glory of it transcends our senses.
Human love is a wonderful mystery, old as the couple in the Garden; new as a schoolgirl’s crush. It ought to be. After all, it symbolizes the heart of Christ for His church. The story of redemption is a holy romance, the delight of the Hero in his bride, the thrill of her heart in being pursued and rescued – that’s the story of God wooing humankind, put into a setting we can understand. He had an eternal perspective in mind all the time. Hallmark and Hollywood believe they invented romance. But there was always a bigger scope to something so glorious, a holy symbolism that only those who get to know the Creator can see.
Why should a wink, a smile, a brushing of the hand bring such chills of delight? To be sure, there are physiological explanations, yet the simplest answer of all is that God created it to be that way. The romance between a man and a woman has a powerful intensity that always thrill us, and sweetly shocks us with its bold majesty. Beyond the mystery of its eternal symbolism, it is His gift to be treasured now, sought wisely, protected arduously.
He puts these brilliant moments into our lives to remind us of Him. It’s as common as a wedding kiss. And yet, what is common about observing that? I may need to lower my eyes at the shining glory of it.
To explore this subject deeper, read Redeeming Romance, published by Wesleyan Publishing House.
