Thoughts on Love, Romance and the Song of Solomon
As February comes to a close and Valentine’s Day has passed my thoughts this morning brought me to the Old Testament, specifically the Song of Solomon. Why would erotica be part of the Old Testament canon? But the Song of Solomon is more than just erotica; it is a love poem, a testament to love, desire and sexual passion between a Black man and a Black woman. Most Christians have been taught that this book is an allegory, a representation of Christ and the church, which could be one interpretation, after all I’m no Bible scholar, and for me the sensual descriptions of the lover’s bodies reveal its true nature.
The way her face, breasts and stomach are captured in vivid detail by the Beloved leans more towards Eros than agape. The Song of Solomon is the longing of two lovers separated, yet joined desperately seeking to be physical reunited to once again ignite the flame of fervor, and quench the fires sexual craving between them.
In my mind the lovers are King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba who visited Solomon to inquire of his wisdom and as the story is sometime told, the two became lovers, their lovemaking resulting in the birth of a son once Sheba returned to Ethiopia. Yes we all know that Solomon had many wives and concubines, too numerous to count, however Sheba was different. Queen Sheba of Ethiopia was intellectual equal, one who not only desired wisdom but was able to communicate the wisdom, knowledge and understanding of her people, her culture to this Hebrew King, thus she became the desire of his heart. Two minds on the same plane, not jockeying for position, become one. When a man meets the feminine version of himself he seeks to unite bringing together one side of his mind with the other. Solomon’s greatest error was in allowing distance and time to come between him and the woman God meant for him to reign with in this life. Imagine how history would have been changed if these two great leaders had joined energies. What a mighty force two people, one flesh to contend with!
Unchained Melody