Let me be a seal upon your heart, 
Like the seal upon your hand. 
For love is fierce as death, 
Passion is mighty as Sheol; 
Its darts are darts of fire, 
A blazing flame. 
Vast floods cannot quench love, 
Nor rivers drown it.” ~Song of Songs 8.6-7

I wish I could speak more eloquently about this verse. Passion without God, to me, is a fire that will consume everything without mercy. It is ignorant of itself and has no proper direction. It’s a carnal love that excludes the spiritual aspect, and leaves only the fallen nature of human beings trying to connect to each other without the divine cords of God’s love leading them.

But when love and passion have God’s seal upon them, it’s like the fire which set the bush in the desert aflame, yet did not consume it. There is direction, hope, faithfulness and truth within the connection as well as an unquenchable fiery passion as fierce as death because the fingerprint of God is woven into it. Where there is wisdom and love, passion can exist without harm.

Passion can be disastrous when separated from God – after all, God is love which is gentle, patient and kind. Passion is hollow, draining and dissolves into lust without the protective seal of the Holy Spirit. But a union solidified with God’s love is satisfying and transcending when God is understood to be the giver of it. Love fulfills it’s purpose when God is invited into a union. Then the passion, the fire and all that comes with it can be experienced with trust, happiness and freedom because there is no fear of harm in it.

The above verse from Song of Songs is written by the Beloved, in-other-words, the woman. A beautiful expression laid down into scripture as a means to understand Jesus’ love for His Church. The Holy Spirit used a woman’s sentiment to express this love – I find that powerful and beautiful.

Featured Image taken at the Cincinnati Art Museum exhibit: “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man” 2019