True Love (say it like you heard it in Princess Bride)
True Love (all i can hear is the line in Princess Bride)…
It’s that time of year, when thoughts of love fill our heads,
Hearts are sprinkled about everywhere,
Songs of romance are in the air,
and, we’re reminded of all things pink and red…
All this Valentine’s emphasis is almost staggering….
However, what is overwhelming is trying to put words to the greatest love of all time.
It’s so mind-blowing there is no real word in the English language for it.
Through the years, artists have tried to portray it.
Song-writers have attempted to put music and lyrics to it.
Authors fail trying to bring expression to it.
And, small-time-blog-writers (aka: me) find themselves totally mind-boggled by it.
Theologians come the closest to a description.
Their words for this love is “inexpressible,” “mysterious,” and “sacred;” but, even they fall short of defining it.
It’s simply too esoteric, I think; but, I would love to comprehend it more (word-nerd-me).
Old Testament writers used one favorite word to describe this amazing love.
Of course, I’ve run across this expression for years in the Scriptures.
It’s used prolifically.
Depending on which “expert” you ask, it’s written 248-253 times, and 128 of those show up in the Psalms.
Since I’m praying through the Psalms this year, I’m frequently bumping into the word, and it has piqued my curiosity.
In Hebrew, the word is HESED,
pronounced “kheh-sed.”
So, for the rest of this “💖 love month 💖,” I’ll be exploring its depths (I’ve picked up a couple books as guides).
For now, let’s just say that one author I’m reading gleaned insights for his book from two, 1500 page notebooks. Not to worry, I am not that prolific, nor do I wish to be.
With this as an introduction, you should be aware…Hesed is translated with 8 different words in the King James Version, 12 in the NIV, 13 in the ESV, 15 in the New Living Translation, and a whopping 46 different ways in The Message.
God’s great, magnificent, sacred, mysterious love for each of us will require a lifetime of learning, and will never be fully KNOWN until we get to live each day experiencing it in real-time and in real-life…
…but, what fun to TRY (especially as we move toward the Lenten season beginning on March 5)!
For now, this I know is true (ponder it with me):
