Your voice is sweet, and your face is beautiful.

Do you feel like you are in the middle of a romance novel with this passage? Song of Songs is a collection of love poems. And God is mentioned in them only once, and even then only indirectly (see Pies 8, 6)! Many have already asked why this book was included in the Bible. One of the answers that biblical scholars give to this question is that the passionate love between man and woman in this book symbolizes the love between God and his people. This may sound strange at first hearing, but the Scriptures often use conjugal, romantic love as an analogy to our union with God (Is 62:5; Jer 2:2; Mt 25:1-13).

We tend to think about God rather than our Father, who guides us and loves us mercifully as a parent loves his child. But using romantic love as an analogy to God’s love can open new horizons. Anyone who has been in love knows how excited and joyful he was. He wanted to be with his beloved, enjoy his beauty, and do extraordinary things for him. God’s love for you is just like that, even more incredible. It is more profound, potent, and purer than any romantic love you can ever experience. And in just a few days, we will celebrate one of the most wonderful expressions of this love: that the Son of God became man to win our love again.

When we think about the time Jesus spent among us, we tend to focus on his suffering. He endured poverty, rejection, and ridicule and suffered a painful death. Well, when you imagine Jesus as a man in love from today’s first reading, another side of this story emerges: he is like a young man jumping over hills and hills to be with you. He sees your sins and struggles, the beauty of God’s image in you, and your potential holiness. His love for you is not platonic. It brims outward like the sun rising from behind a distant mountain. It flows to the surface like a rushing river. And this love is meant for you. As Christmas approaches, remember that Jesus eagerly runs to you with a heart full of love. He will never stop looking for you.