His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved; this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem. (Song of Solomon 5:16, NIV 2010)
But desire is more than that: it’s a sense of longing of something more. According to French psychoanalyst Jaques Lacan, it can never be fulfilled. We crave for something, and we want to beat any obstacle to get that fulfilled. Desire is more than an emotion; it’s a need that becomes an obsession, and an obsession that leads to knowledge.
That’s the desire of the woman in this beautiful poem. She didn’t care; she’d seek her lover on the hilltops, on the mountains, on the vineyards, on the kingdom. She didn’t care, she’d talk about her lover and boast of him to her friends. She was a beautiful one, that girl: she couldn’t sleep, eat, drink or live life without her beloved one.
And what about us?
Do we seek God on the hilltops, on the mountains, on the vineyards, and on the kingdom?
Do we talk about Him and boast about His wonders to our friends?
Can we sleep, eat, drink, or live without our Beloved One?
Desire is not the one we see under the bed sheets, or on a couple groping passionately and grajeándose en una esquina. (Although, they‘re passionate enough to do so.) Desire is wanting more of that you can’t see.
God, please let me desire more of You…
Happy Valentine’s Day!