Yesterday as part of a sermon on Song of Songs the preacher presented this idea of love being a series of "movements." The first movement is sort of initial attraction. The second movement is taking a step out and risking rejection. The third and fourth movements are getting to know each other more deeply and then intimately.
In order to make the sermon more easy to relate to, he talked about sitting at a 9th grade dance and wanting to go ask a girl to dance and the rejection that was possible there. This got me thinking: in the modern dating world there is this big risk of rejection up front and immediately. In all of my relationships I can't say that there was ever a single "this is it" sort of risk moment. I knew that they were interested in me, I sought God's will in each of them. In the end, the risk was actually far greater, but it was a slow risk. Not the "here I am, will you accept me" sort of moment of risk. I would say that I have loved them deeply, deep enough to marry them for sure. Is it not enough to give yourself completely over time? Must there be some moment of raw risk?
So what do you think? Does love really require that moment of true risk of rejection? Or is it enough to accrue that risk over time?
Thoughts?
In order to make the sermon more easy to relate to, he talked about sitting at a 9th grade dance and wanting to go ask a girl to dance and the rejection that was possible there. This got me thinking: in the modern dating world there is this big risk of rejection up front and immediately. In all of my relationships I can't say that there was ever a single "this is it" sort of risk moment. I knew that they were interested in me, I sought God's will in each of them. In the end, the risk was actually far greater, but it was a slow risk. Not the "here I am, will you accept me" sort of moment of risk. I would say that I have loved them deeply, deep enough to marry them for sure. Is it not enough to give yourself completely over time? Must there be some moment of raw risk?
So what do you think? Does love really require that moment of true risk of rejection? Or is it enough to accrue that risk over time?
Thoughts?