Love Songs
Here at the Beck house we've been enjoying Lauren Daigle's release "Thank God I Do" from her forthcoming album. If you've not heard the song here's a link to the official lyric music video. The lyrics:
I've seen love come and I've seen love walk away
So many questions, will anybody stay?
It's been a hard year, so many nights in tears
All of the darkness, trying to fight my fearsAlone
So long
alone
I don't know who I'd be if I didn't know you
I'd probably fall off the edge
I don't know where I'd go if you ever let go
So keep me held in your handsI've started breathing, the weight is lifted here
With you it's easy, my head is finally clear
There's nothin' missing when you are by my side
I took the long road, but now I realizeI'm home
With you
I’m home
I don't know who I'd be if I didn't know you
I'd probably fall off the edge
I don't know where I'd go if you ever let go
So keep me held in your handsI don't know who I'd be if I didn't know you
I'd probably fall off the edge
I don't know where I'd go if you ever let go
So keep me held in your handsYou're my safe place, my hide away
You're my anchor, my saving grace
You're my constant, my steadiness
You're my shelter, my oxygenI don't know who I'd be if I didn't know you
Thank God I doI don't know who I'd be if I didn't know you
I'd probably fall off the edge
I don't know where I'd go if you ever let go
So keep me held in your hands
I don't know who I'd be if I didn't know youThank God I do
What's fascinating about the song is the duality. You can sing the song to your romantic love, or you can sing the song to God.
As I describe in Hunting Magic Eels, a criticism you hear voiced a lot among the seminary-educated is that modern worship music is "too romantic," castigating it as "Jesus is my boyfriend" music. Such an opinion, though, betrays a vast ignorance of the contemplative tradition, especially of the female mystics. Teresa of Ávila. Catherine of Siena. Julian of Norwich. Thérèse of Lisieux.
It also betrays a Biblical blind spot, the recognition that the Song of Songs, like Daigle's "Thank God I Do," also plays with a romantic duality. Throughout Jewish and Christian history, the romantic content of the Song of Songs has been read as a poem expressing our love for God and God's love for us. One of my favorite stories from the life of Thomas Aquinas is how, when he was dying, he asked that the Song of Songs be read aloud to him. Who knew that the author of the Summa Theologica had such a romantic relationship with God?
All that to say, I love how I can sing "Thank God I Do" to Jana, but also how I can sing the exact same words to God:
I don't know who I'd be if I didn't know You
I'd probably fall off the edge
I don't know where I'd go if You ever let go
So keep me held in Your hands
You're my safe place, my hide away
You're my anchor, my saving grace
You're my constant, my steadiness
You're my shelter, my oxygen
I don't know who I'd be if I didn't know You
I’ve heard recently that most memorization of scripture is done through music or at least the impact of certain scriptures is driven home through music. Almost every time I hear a song about Jesus leaving the 99 I can’t help but tear up. Also as I’ve grown in my relationship with God, it’s the dualistic music that speaks to the romantic in me. The sappy, codependent love song ballads of the 80’s are gross & talk about the sick love affair between 2 humans & no dualism is there.
*I'm behind on my reading.
But . . . YES!! Times a thousand.
I'll try to say this carefully, but like any "theme" in writing, there are attempts at this that work and others that do not. So while I think "Jesus is my boyfriend" can apply, I think it's mostly over applied.
I'm mostly not a music snob. My beloved child is a huge CCM fan and I'm mostly not. But . . . there is lots of stuff I authentically love (some of it surprising, some of it not). I really love Lauren's records and I think the songwriting is a huge part of their greatness (the singing is obviously great, and the production is first rate).
I like to say that a great song breaks your heart open. This applies to both "religious" music and "secular" music.
In my own writing, I'm happy when a song is open to that kind of interpretation and I have a least a few that fall into this sort of duality. I played a song for my wife and her immediate reaction was: Is this about me or about God? Both/and.