I was just here listening to this song by Shinedown called If you Only Knew. A line in the song is “If you only knew, I’d sacrifice my beating heart before I lose you.” For some reason or another, this time when I heard this part my mind segwayed, or rather, was set on a thought fancy. Follow my mental ramblings, I have concluded that this line has two solid points of implication.
To sacrifice one's beating heart, isn’t that what every guy wants to be able to say about their beloved? I mean how much more noble can you get than sacrificing your life for someone?
Incidentally, I believe that is wherein the first problem lies. Certainly, such a heroic act, if actually carried out is beyond noble; it is exquisite. However, saying a noble thing and doing a heroic act are as matters of substance, completely different. I see the expression of this extreme and noble sacrifice to overlook the romance available in the mundane. I believe that in pursuing such elevated expressions of love, we, men, overlook the literal heart of the matter.
The demand of but an instant of courage in the attempt to do something truly great is easily desired and perhaps less demanding or less likely to weigh heavily than the usual day-in day-out aspects of life. I would say that it is far easier to profess willingness to cut out one's heart in a far-off, unlikely, future instant than it is perhaps to allow little nicks and scars to develop because of the needles of the ongoing daily demands that comprise true love.
Another approach or tangent that could be taken from these words though is that of the emotive pathos of the hopeless lover. "I'd die if I can't have you" or other such controlling phrases simply have no place in the realm of romantic love. The uttering of such nonsense has no other effect than to blackmail the heart of the beloved with heavy chains. It puts her in the position of being either selfish in her own escape from your oppressive love or scared into staying to avoid a painful guilt trip knowing that she killed you. For such a lover, the beloved is naught more than a possession.
That sort of love is simply twisted. It demands, it wants and it must possess the beloved. Love, if not freely given, is of little consequence in the realm of romance.
Go and Set the World Ablaze
1 comment:
Excellent. What you say here doesn't just apply to romantic love, it applies to Christian living. Sure we would all love to "die for the Savior", but would we as easily put up with daily annoyances or forgo certain simple pleasures for Him?
Amazing, isn't it, that Jesus didn't spend a second living for Himself... and to top it off, He made the ultimate sacrifice as well. His gift of love was completely selfless. (I'm sure you were already aware of the parallel.) Equally amazing is His patience with people like me who fail to reciprocate that love (in the small ways), and equally undeniable is His right to punish them with eternal torment.
To tell the truth, "I'd walk a Million Miles" was novel... but now there are way to many knock-offs. I recommend 3rd Day's variation on the idea for a refreshing angle.
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