I was
talking to a collegue the other day over lunch, and somehow we got on
the subject of “Sex In The City”, the now cancelled HBO show
about the friendship of four New York professional women and their
adventures in trying to find love in the big apple. Now, you may not
think that a show like “Sex In The City” is something that I
would (or that should be) discussed in a devotional blog about
christianity, but if it weren’t for this show, Ikthos as it is would
not exist.
talking to a collegue the other day over lunch, and somehow we got on
the subject of “Sex In The City”, the now cancelled HBO show
about the friendship of four New York professional women and their
adventures in trying to find love in the big apple. Now, you may not
think that a show like “Sex In The City” is something that I
would (or that should be) discussed in a devotional blog about
christianity, but if it weren’t for this show, Ikthos as it is would
not exist.
I became
a fan of the show after it went into syndication (I didn’t have
cable) and began airing on my local television station… so
basically, I’ve only seen the sanitized version of the show, but I
still love it, because of the relationships between these four New
York women, Miranda ,Samantha, Charlotte and of course Carrie. Sarah
Jessica Parker’s voiceover of Carrie Bradshaw‘s column is what
caused me to re-think the way I approached Ikthos and gave me the
courage to make it more personal and conversational although anyone
who’s ever seen the show knows our subject matter couldn’t be more
different.
a fan of the show after it went into syndication (I didn’t have
cable) and began airing on my local television station… so
basically, I’ve only seen the sanitized version of the show, but I
still love it, because of the relationships between these four New
York women, Miranda ,Samantha, Charlotte and of course Carrie. Sarah
Jessica Parker’s voiceover of Carrie Bradshaw‘s column is what
caused me to re-think the way I approached Ikthos and gave me the
courage to make it more personal and conversational although anyone
who’s ever seen the show knows our subject matter couldn’t be more
different.
If
you’ve seen the show (or the movies for that matter) you know the
ongoing relationhip Carrie has with Mr. Big. Mr. Big is the love of
Carrie’s life. He’s smart, successful, wealthy, tall, dark and
handsome… but unfortunately for most of the show’s run, completely
unavailable. Either because he afraid of commitment to Carrie or
because he commited (married) to someone else. At the end of the
first film, Carrie and Mr. Big finally tie the knot in a very simple,
unceremonious ceremony at the Justice of the Peace… and of course
the girls, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte are all there. This is
Carrie’s happily-ever-after… she’s finally nabbed Mr. Big… the
fish that always mananged to get away from her, and as a viewer, I
was very happy for Carrie. She’d been through a lot to get this man
to meet her at the altar, in fact, her left her at the altar at the
beginning of the film, but Carrie and I have a very different idea of
what triumphant love is… about what’s worth fighting for… about
who Mr. Big really is. Let me tell you about Mr. Big.
you’ve seen the show (or the movies for that matter) you know the
ongoing relationhip Carrie has with Mr. Big. Mr. Big is the love of
Carrie’s life. He’s smart, successful, wealthy, tall, dark and
handsome… but unfortunately for most of the show’s run, completely
unavailable. Either because he afraid of commitment to Carrie or
because he commited (married) to someone else. At the end of the
first film, Carrie and Mr. Big finally tie the knot in a very simple,
unceremonious ceremony at the Justice of the Peace… and of course
the girls, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte are all there. This is
Carrie’s happily-ever-after… she’s finally nabbed Mr. Big… the
fish that always mananged to get away from her, and as a viewer, I
was very happy for Carrie. She’d been through a lot to get this man
to meet her at the altar, in fact, her left her at the altar at the
beginning of the film, but Carrie and I have a very different idea of
what triumphant love is… about what’s worth fighting for… about
who Mr. Big really is. Let me tell you about Mr. Big.
In
Carrie’s world, Mr. Big is a man who is afraid of commitment. Who
shutters at the thought of emotional intimacy and vulnerability and
who only understands Carrie’s value to him after he marries another
woman,divorces this woman and leaves Carrie at the altar. Only then
can he come to terms with the fact that Carrie is the one for him and
in a seeming sign of defeat… like raising a white flag in battle…
does Mr. Big marry Carrie and I guess this is victory, but thank God
my Mr. Big… God in the person of Jesus Christ, isn’t this way.
Carrie’s world, Mr. Big is a man who is afraid of commitment. Who
shutters at the thought of emotional intimacy and vulnerability and
who only understands Carrie’s value to him after he marries another
woman,divorces this woman and leaves Carrie at the altar. Only then
can he come to terms with the fact that Carrie is the one for him and
in a seeming sign of defeat… like raising a white flag in battle…
does Mr. Big marry Carrie and I guess this is victory, but thank God
my Mr. Big… God in the person of Jesus Christ, isn’t this way.
He is
faithful… always, and longs for intimacy with is people… no fear
of getting too close here. And as for commitment, we are the one’s
who fear committing to Him. He never leaves or forsakes us [Deut.
31:6; Heb. 13:5]. He’s the one who pursues us, because he first
loved loved us and He waits patiently for us to understand and
appreciate His undying, eternal love for us.
faithful… always, and longs for intimacy with is people… no fear
of getting too close here. And as for commitment, we are the one’s
who fear committing to Him. He never leaves or forsakes us [Deut.
31:6; Heb. 13:5]. He’s the one who pursues us, because he first
loved loved us and He waits patiently for us to understand and
appreciate His undying, eternal love for us.
Now I’m
not saying that we can’t love others, of course we can but I am
saying that without understanding God’s love for us, the ongoing love
affair God has for and with His people… with His Church, the Bride
of Christ, we will never be able to love others with abandon. We
will never know what it truly means to be loved… we will never be
able to impart that love to others.
not saying that we can’t love others, of course we can but I am
saying that without understanding God’s love for us, the ongoing love
affair God has for and with His people… with His Church, the Bride
of Christ, we will never be able to love others with abandon. We
will never know what it truly means to be loved… we will never be
able to impart that love to others.
I’m not
saying that understanding God’s love for us is revelation that you
get all at once. I believe it’s a life-long process that we learn
through experience, with God, with others and through prayer and how
we handle events in our lives, but it a love relationship that we as
individuals should want to pursue and is the model for every loving
relationhip we have after.
saying that understanding God’s love for us is revelation that you
get all at once. I believe it’s a life-long process that we learn
through experience, with God, with others and through prayer and how
we handle events in our lives, but it a love relationship that we as
individuals should want to pursue and is the model for every loving
relationhip we have after.
“Let
him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your loveis more
delightful than wine.
Pleasing
is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured
out. No wonder the young women love you!
Take
me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his
chambers.”
him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— for your loveis more
delightful than wine.
Pleasing
is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured
out. No wonder the young women love you!
Take
me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his
chambers.”
–
Solomon’s Song of Songs 1:1-4
Solomon’s Song of Songs 1:1-4
