Heart Full of Love

Once upon a time during a car ride with my Dad, a younger me complained about the prevalence of love in almost every song I heard on the radio.  It probably didn't help that at the time I listened almost exclusively to Oldies, Natalie Cole, and Elvis, all of which lean pretty heavily on love songs.  But it seemed to me that every song I heard was about love in some way, and as a child, it was annoying.

My Dad's wonderful response was to make me a mixed tape (yes, those were the days!) entirely of songs he found NOT about love.  It was fantastic, and it's where I first discovered the song The Streak, which became a childhood staple that still makes me laugh.  There are, to my childhood surprise, songs out there that do not talk about love!

But the reality is, love is a huge part of the human emotional experience, and so it is a common theme in music.  As I've grown, though, it's easy to see that love song lyrics are impossible for anyone to live up to.  The object of someone's love is often described with sweeping, all-encompassing phrases - they are described as absolute perfection.  And that's how we do see the ones we love at times, however unrealistic these idolized perceptions may be.  It's our emotion at the time of love, and music is our avenue for expressing it.

On the other hand, I know in my heart that the one thing all people have in common is that none of us actually are perfect.  It's the unifying trait of humanity.  In light of that, sometimes when I listen to the lyrics of certain love songs, my mind instinctively turns to the one experience I do have being loved by someone perfect - God.  Although likely not the intention of most of the songwriters, Bono aside, many popular artists write lyrics that describe God with incredible insight - because of those sweeping, all-encompassing descriptions of perfect love.

"... love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ... God is love." -1 John 4:7-8

Now please don't hear any of this as the cheesy stereotypical Christian anti-dating sentiment to which I have never subscribed - that we "date" God, and that romantic love is fulfilled by our relationship with God.  I personally find that mindset creepy.  As my sister happily tells everyone she knows, I have historically been a big fan of dating, and it's always been dates with people, not God.  I'm talking strictly about the idea of love, not romance.

With that in mind, on this Valentine's Day I'll share two love songs I (perhaps unexpectedly) hear God's perfection in.  Does every lyric fit?  No, of course not.  What we hear in a song is individual, just as love is.  My interpretation focuses on parts which speak to my heart, the lines that jump out to me as formative to whatever journey I'm on at the moment.  That's music for you.  Maybe you'll hear a reminder of God's perfect nature, maybe not.  But regardless, I hope you end your day with a heart full of love of some kind, whether romantic or spiritual or something else entirely.

"No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." -1 John 4:12, 16

**Word of caution for those offended by language or listening in the presence of kids: both songs use mild profanity - in choruses of the first song and the first line of the second song.**

"Never thought I'd be alright, 'til you came and changed my life.  What was cloudy now is clear, you're the light that I needed.  [...] You are there when I'm a mess, talk me down from every ledge.  Give me strength; you're the best.  You're the only one who's ever passed every test."

"You see everything, you see every part.  You see all my light and you love my dark.  [...] What I resist, you love, no matter how low or high I go.  [...] There's not anything to which you can't relate.  And you're still here."