Sealing our Love

 

Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
– Song of Songs 8:6

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This verse is not a prayer to God, but an impassioned plea to another person who is loved deeply, an urgent request for a pledge that confirms relationship and love. I have included this verse in several weddings that I have officiated. It expresses a strong and fierce love that will protect, that will cherish, that will survive the darkest nights. I imagine its speaker hurdling all obstacles and brushing aside every distraction to affirm love, embodying faithfulness in a way that inspires equal loyalty devotion in return. Although it is not a prayer to God, one may imagine these words as God’s invitation to the one(s) he loves, his desire for you and me. How will we answer God’s prayer?