Working Together at Home, Part 2

Many waters cannot quench love;
+++rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
+++all the wealth of one’s house for love,
+++it would be utterly scorned.

Song of Songs 8:7 (NIV)

Before the pandemic, Sunday mornings used to be filled with excitement as my family got ready to head off to a full day of church and entertainment activities. But today, in the days of COVID-19 and social distancing, our family wakes up to a Sunday morning that looks pretty similar to any other day of the week.

We aren’t going anywhere today. Everything will happen at home. Worship, work, and play. If we want to make this day special, the onus is on us.

In this time when we’re so disrupted from our normal lives, we’ve been asking ourselves: what doesn’t change?

When our schedule is different, when our life is cropped to the center, what can we count on as being the same?

The answer we’ve come back to at every point in this crisis is there’s one thing that’s consistent in our family: love. No matter what happens in the world—whether we’re bustling to activities or stuck within the four walls of our house—our family is held together by love.

Love is a powerful commodity. It cannot be destroyed, no matter what life throws at us. “Many waters cannot quench love,” says Song of Songs 8:7. Even if we had to withstand a natural disaster such as a typhoon or flood, “rivers cannot sweep [love] away.” This is a hopeful metaphor for families as we withstand the natural disaster of pandemic disease.

According to Song of Songs, love is not only durable, it’s also priceless. It cannot be purchased, even for “all the wealth of one’s house” (Song of Songs 8:7). This is also good news in times of economic uncertainty. We may not know what’s going to happen to our jobs or in the world economy in the coming months. But we know that whatever happens, it can’t touch the reserves of love deposited in our family day after day.

On this day that God set apart as holy, I pray that I can show my family love in real ways. Whether it’s washing a dish, pulling a weed, or lighting a candle to do church at home, may our work be an act of love that we share together.

Further Exploration:

Listen to the podcast: How to Work When You’re Working from Home

Something to Think About:

How can you make this day special with your family? What do you do together that you all love?

Something to Do:

Read Song of Songs aloud with your beloved. If you’re feeling creative, make up some love poetry of your own.

Prayer:

God, fill my home with love today. May my work be an expression of your love. Amen.

Explore more at the Theology of Work Project online
commentary:
Joy (Song of Songs 8:6-14)

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