"But every seed dies before it grows...
Do you love me enough to let me go?
Do you love me enough to let me go?
To let me follow through
To let me fall for you, my love
Do you love me enough to let me go?"
Switch Foot - Enough to Let Me Go
A couple months ago I went on a spur of the moment road trip with some friends up to Philly. While in the car, I put this CD (Hello Hurricane) on and the car was pretty much silent. Everyone had a chance to individually meditate on the lyrics and melodies and it became almost a surreal, in-car meditative worship experience. Yep, Switchfoot will do that to you.
This song is one of my favorites because it connects on so many levels, it represents true love. Love is not always about being up under someone, or having them long for you. Love is also patient, accepting of space, and allows both individuals to feel comfortable being themselves whether that means being together or apart.
That sounds a lot like Christ's love for us:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (1 Corinthians 13: 4-8; NIV 2010 edition)
God loves us so much that in order to pay the price of our sins, He sent His only Son to die on our behalf many many years ago. His ministry and His ultimate sacrifice represents the depth of His love for us. It was a seed that was sown long long ago that He desires to see grow some day in all of our hearts and one day bring forth good fruit.
God doesn't push us to love Him nor does He make it an obligation for us to reciprocate His love for us. What He does is love in the shadows. His love is wound up so tightly within that seed within us that when it bursts, it can't help but bring about good fruit. As the title states, our love towards Christ may be dormant but it's not dead. Even in the death of a seed, there is the expectation and anticipation of new life! Yes He loves us enough to let us go. Yes, He loves us enough to let us follow through on our own and fall in love with the seed He placed in our hearts long, long ago. Love is a two way street and God is fully aware of that. He's going to keep loving you until you're ready to make a move!
Whenever your seed is ready, it'll grow! It's not dead, just dormant.
(Bonus Coverage: Jon Foreman explains "Enough To Let Me Go"):
Jon Foreman- "I was thinking about how love (not just lust or codependency that commonly flood the tunes on the airways) actually involves quite a bit of faith. There's a lot of letting go involved. Two souls in love is an intricate dance of give and take. I can be a fairly solitary person from time to time. Sure, I love being with people, but I also need time alone. I guess I thrive on the poles. So this song is about the dance involved in a relationship the coming together and letting go. The song equates love with breathing- pulling in and releasing. Or a seed, for the seed to grow it has to be dropped and buried.
In our barcode media, love is often portrayed as consumption. As consumers in a commercial driven culture we can begin to view other souls as objects, or potential cures for our deepest fears and insecurities. "Perhaps if I found the right lover I would no longer feel this deep existential despair." But of course no human soul could be the Constant Other, the face that will never go away. Only the infinite can fill that role. But the silence can be deafening. It's a fearful thing to be alone. Do you love me enough to let me go? "I can't live without you"- "I would die if you ever left me"- These are not the songs of love, these are the songs of consumption."
