By Miriam Rossow
There is a song by John Legend called All of Me that I love! It seems crazy to have a secular song bring me to tears but here is why it did. When I listen to this song I see a beautiful love between two people. I see a love that is strong through the storms. I see a love that is not based solely on physical appearances. I see a love that is pretty unconditional. I see a love that I want for my kids in their marriages. I see the love that my husband and I have for each other (on most days). I see a love that Jesus has for me.
Here are some of the lyrics.
From the refrain: ‘Cause all of me loves all of you. All your curves and all your edges. All your perfect imperfections. You’re my end and my beginning. Even when I lose I’m winning.
From the verse: How many times do I have to tell you even when you’re crying you’re beautiful, too. The world is beating you down. I’m around through every mood.
Can you hear the love of someone who is head over heels and also willing to love when things are not perfect? This is the love your Jesus has for you!
This is the love your Jesus has for you!
I love to think about Jesus being in love with me. It is a different way to imagine Him. Again, I think we usually picture Jesus or even experience Him as a judge, or creator. We might experience Him as an artist creating something beautiful or even a Father who is caring and loving. I don’t think I have ever thought of Jesus as my love, at least not a romantic love. And certainly there are some things that don’t fit with this image, but let’s just play around with this for a minute.
My husband, my love, desires me and I him. He thinks I look pretty even when I don’t think so. He tells me he loves me and he shows me he loves me by the way he acts. He cares for me and is often willing to do what I want instead of what he wants. He loves all the things about me that I think are imperfections. He believes that even when he is losing he is winning where I am concerned.
These things are true about Jesus as well, and in an even fuller and more perfect way. Jesus desires to be with me. He desires to hear about my ups and downs. Jesus tells me He loves me and He shows me by what He has done for me. Jesus cares for me and there is a sense in which Jesus is even willing to accommodate our wants. Of course, Jesus’ will is bigger than and often different from the things I want, but as my Beloved He is giving of Himself fully and without care for His needs. Jesus not only loves me despite my imperfections, He has done something about those imperfections; He has taken those away.
Jesus not only loves me despite my imperfections, He has done something about those imperfections; He has taken those away.
When Jesus is losing everything for me He is also winning. You see, on the cross Jesus lost everything, and at the same time He bought everything back. He won, not the devil. And so Jesus loves and desires me in a perfect way that my husband is a reflection of. My husband’s love and desire point me to Jesus’ love and desire.
When I hear this song I not only think of the love I want for my children, or the love that my husband and I have for each other, or of the perfect fairy tale I love: I think of the love that Jesus has for me. His love for me says He loves ALL of Me! Every last curve, edge, and point. He loves to the point of losing all in order to win me back!
I am my Beloved’s, and my Beloved is mine! Jesus loves me and I love Him. I belong to Jesus and He belongs to me! It is a fairy tale love full of desire and chasing after one another.
