LOVER AND BELOVED IN THE SONG OF SONGS
I Am My Beloved’s
Thursday, May 7, 2026
I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me.
—Song of Songs 7:10
James Finley celebrates Bernard of Clairvaux’s emphasis on love:
When I was at the monastery, they had a statue of Saint Bernard holding a scroll. In his commentary on the Song of Songs, he says, “Amo quia amo.” “I love because I love.” He writes, “Everything we do, we do for a reason, but only love is its own reason.” [1] Clearly this is the motivation of the lovers in the Song of Songs. Love is their only reason, their only reward. This is how I would put it: Ultimately, God is speaking just one thing. Only one thing is happening: The infinite love of God, in an ongoing self-donating act, is pouring itself out, emptying itself, and giving itself away in and as the intimate immediacy of the gift and the miracle of our very presence, the presence of others in all things, and our nothingness without this infinite love. Love is our origin, love is our ground, love is our sustaining reality, and love is our destiny. Love and love alone is the substance of reality. Everything else is smoke and mirrors, really. [2]
Bernard of Clairvaux recognized that there’s fraternal love, our love for our siblings. There’s the love of parents for their children, and the love of children for their parents. God also gives us love for our friends. But nuptial love is unique in that two people freely choose to give themselves to each other completely: to support each other, to be there for each other, and to be with each other. So, their sexual union is a physical, somatic celebration of the love in which they give and receive.
Arise my love, my fair one,
and come away.
O my dove, in the clefts of rocks,
in the covert of the cliff,
let me see your face;
let me hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet
and your face is lovely….
My beloved is mine, and I am his. (Song of Songs 2:13–14, 16)
You can see why Bernard saw nuptial love, portrayed in the Song of Songs, as the supreme love. It’s like when spouses love and give themselves to each other—the infinite love of God infinitely gives God’s self to us. Nuptial mysticism is like being married to God. God wants us to be married to God in this kiss, this ultimate, sovereign, and supreme love.
The philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote, “The heart has its reason which the mind knows not.” [3] Bernard of Clairvaux understood this long before Paschal wrote it. In working with the Song of Songs, he is dropping down into the heart realm, searching for words and metaphors that will resonate with us. When we hear these words, we’re touched by them because we can tell Bernard is trying to put into words what our own hearts know is true. The depth of who we are is God’s beloved. [4]
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Sarah Young – Jesus Calling
I AM with you always. These were the last words I spoke before ascending into heaven. I continue to proclaim this promise to all who will listen. People respond to My continual Presence in various ways. Most Christians accept this teaching as truth but ignore it in their daily living. Some ill-taught or wounded believers fear (and may even resent) My awareness of all they do and think. A few people center their lives around this glorious promise and find themselves blessed beyond all expectations.
When My Presence is the focal point of your consciousness, all the pieces of your life fall into place. As you gaze at Me through the eyes of your heart, you can see the world around you from My perspective. The fact that I am with you makes every moment of your life meaningful.
RELATED SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 28:20 NLT
20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Additional insight regarding Matthew 28:20: How is Jesus “with” us? Jesus was with the disciples physically until he ascended into Heaven and then spiritually through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4). The Holy Spirit would be Jesus’ presence that would never leave them (John 14:26 – “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”). Jesus continues to be with us today through his Spirit.
NLT Bible Versions
Psalm 139:1-4 NLT
Psalm 139
For the choir director: A psalm of David.
1 O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
3 You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
Additional insight regarding Psalm 139:1-5: Sometimes we don’t let people get to know us completely because we are afraid they will discover something about us they won’t like. But God already knows everything about us, even the number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30), and still he accepts and loves us. God is with us through every situation, in every trial – protecting, loving, guiding. He knows and loves us completely.
Reflection question: Do you tend to treat God’s presence as background knowledge or as the focal point of your daily consciousness? What’s one practical way you could shift toward the latter?
