The Power of Love 爱的力量
Dexu Xia
Many waters cannot quench love. Song of Songs 8:7
Two octogenarians, one from Germany and the other from Denmark, were an unlikely couple. They had each enjoyed sixty years of marriage before being widowed. Though living only fifteen minutes apart, their homes were in separate countries. Still, they fell in love, regularly cooking meals and spending time together. Sadly, in 2020, due to the coronavirus, the Danish government closed the border crossing. Undeterred, every day at 3:00 p.m., the two met at the border on a quiet country lane and, seated on their respective sides, shared a picnic. “We’re here because of love,” the man explained. Their love was stronger than borders, more powerful than a pandemic.
The Song of Songs offers an impressive display of love’s invincible power. “Love is as strong as death,” Solomon insisted (8:6). None of us escapes death; it arrives with a steely finality we can’t break. And yet love, the writer said, is every bit as strong. What’s more, love “burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame” (v. 6). Have you ever watched a fire exploding in feverish rage? Love—like fire—is impossible to contain. “Many waters cannot quench love.” Not even a raging river can sweep love away (v. 7).
Human love, whenever it’s selfless and true, offers reflections of these characteristics. However, only God’s love offers such potency, such limitless depths, such tenacious power. And here’s the stunner: God loves each of us with this unquenchable love.
How does love in this life reflect the love shared by God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? How do you sense God loving you now?
God, I need Your powerful, deep love. I need Your love that won’t be extinguished and won’t let me go. Will You show me this love today?
爱情，众水不能息灭。—雅歌8章7节
分别住在德国和丹麦的两位八旬长者，是难能可贵的一对恋人。他们两人在丧偶之前，都曾享受了60年的婚姻生活。他们俩的住处只相隔15分钟的路程，却分属两个不同的国家。不过他们依然坠入情网，常常一起做饭、共度美好时光。可惜的是，2020年丹麦政府因新冠疫情而关闭边界。但他们却未因此受到拦阻，每天下午3点在边境一处幽静的乡间小路，分坐在各自的国界内，隔着栅栏一起享受下午茶时光。老先生说：“爱使我们相聚在这里！”他们的爱情胜过边界的隔阂，也胜过疫情的威胁。
圣经雅歌深刻地描述爱情无穷的力量，所罗门坚称：“爱情如死之坚强”（8章6节）。无人可免于一死，无人能摧毁必会临到的死亡。但所罗门强调，爱情的力量强如死亡。不仅如此，爱情“所发的电光，是火焰的电光，是耶和华的烈焰”（6节）。你看过烈焰冲天吗？爱情就像不可能遏制的大火！正如第7节说：“爱情，众水不能息灭，大水也不能淹没。”
人与人之间无私真诚的爱，固然能反映爱情的这些特质，但唯有上帝的爱是如此的强大、深不可测，并且坚定不移。更令人震惊的是，上帝以这种永不息灭的爱，深爱着我们每一个人！
世上的爱如何反映三位一体上帝对我们的爱？
你现在如何感受到上帝爱你？
上帝，我需要祢那强大、
深广、永不息灭、永不离弃的爱，
求祢使我今天就能感受到祢的爱！