By Cate Edmonds, Cannon Steward
“For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land!” Song of Solomon 2:11-12
The lovely verse from the Song of Solomon surely sums up how we are feeling after the wet winter we had. I am sure, like me, you have found it delightful seeing the spring flowers appearing and now in some cases disappearing as we march forth into late spring or even summer. (Well the clocks went forward into British summertime!). The blossom on the various trees seem to be even more vibrant and the daffodils and primrose have made a magnificent show. However, sadly when we have heavy April showers and strong winds they disappear too rapidly.
People often wonder why the Book of the Songs of Solomon is included in the Bible. Briefly, the inclusion of the Song of Solomon, also known as the Song of Songs, has been the subject of discussion throughout history. This poetic book, nestled among the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, stands out for its portrayal of love and beauty. One approach to interpreting the Song of Solomon is to view it allegorically, understanding the beautiful portrayal of lovers’ relationship and descriptions of nature as a metaphor for the divine love between God and His people or between Christ and the church.
The Easter season in the Church’s calendar that we are still journeying through is definitely a time for singing. We begin our services and some meetings with the exclamation; Alleluia Christ is risen He is risen indeed! Nature too is singing this greeting with the new life in creation bursting forth. The trees are blossoming and being clothed in green, pink and white, plants are flowering and evenings are drawing out. The darkness of winter is behind us as is the darkness of Christ’s tomb.
We may feel that the world is in a dark time, as there is so much conflict around us. Just as nature emerges out of the darkness of winter, we too have the example of the glory of the resurrection to encourage us with light and hope that we will pass through this dark time and emerge into the glorious light of the peace of Christ.
Alleluia Christ is risen, He is risen indeed Alleluia!