Song of Songs 2:8–13

The appearance of this text in the summertime period of the Season after Pentecost (Years A and B in the Revised Common Lectionary) makes it easy to bypass. It doesn’t help that its lyrical words speak of a topic many preachers prefer to avoid: erotic love. Yet the mystical and spiritual qualities of the text also commend it as a sermon focus, especially in a liturgical season dedicated to ordinary, everyday spirituality. Whether one leans into the embodiment of love and longing or follows the lead of many of the saints and interprets the text allegorically, preachers would do well to embrace the Song of Songs wholeheartedly at least once.