Ready for Love

Did you ever hear a song without really listening to it? And then later when you take the time to listen to it, you wonder why you’ve never heard it before?

I was listening to India.Arie’s Acoustic Soul album the other day, which I have heard a few times before, but a song started playing that forced me to look up from the book I was reading (Reimagining Evangelism, see previous post) and actually listen to it, to take in the words and the music. Before any of you continue reading, please listen to the song here. The lyrics are below, but don’t even look at them until you’ve listened. Then I’ll explain why I was struck by the song.
_______________________________________________
Ready for Love

I am ready for love
Why are you hiding from me?
I'd quickly give my freedom
To be held in your captivity

I am ready for love
All of the joy and the pain
And all the time that it takes
Just to stay in your good grace

Lately I've been thinking
Maybe you're not ready for me
Maybe you think I need to learn maturity
They say watch what you ask for
Cause you might receive
But if you ask me tomorrow
I'll say the same thing

I am ready for love
Would you please lend me your ear?
I promise I won't complain
I just need you to acknowledge I am here

If you give me half a chance
I'll prove this to you
I will be patient, kind, faithful and true
To a man who loves music
A man who loves art
Respect's the spirit world
And thinks with his heart

I am ready for love
If you'll take me in your hands
I will learn what you teach
And do the best that I can

I am ready for love
Here with an offering of
My voice
My eyes
My soul
My mind

Tell me what is enough
To prove I am ready for love
I am ready
_______________________________________________
India.Arie may have written this song about human relationship (I doubt it), but there are a few things about the words that really stand out to me. First off, this is truly a love song. She is singing about a real, true, deep relationship between her and someone else. It seems like so many songs today throw around the word love without any comprehension of its meaning or implications. Take Maroon 5’s “Shiver” – I doubt if the shivering the title refers to is a warm fuzzy feeling in the heart. (In fact, I do not believe Maroon 5 is capable of writing songs about topics other than messy breakups or sex in its various forms, but I suppose everyone must write from what they know, whether that knowledge serves any purpose or has any substance.) Or if you’ve listened to the radio in the last few months, you’ve probably heard Usher’s “Love In This Club” – the “love” Usher is singing (singing?) about here definitely does not refer to deep emotional connection between two people (though I’m sure there is a deep connection made in some other way). And now look at this song. “I am ready for love/Here with an offering of/My voice, My eyes, my soul, my mind.” Almost as important as those body parts mentioned are those left out, which are apparently insignificant (or at least less significant) to the kind of love this woman is singing about.

The other thing that got my attention is this. Until the line the specifically mentions a man, I could have sworn this song was a prayer. I thought this language portrays almost exactly the kind of love we Christians always talk about approaching God with – that’s why I started listening in the first place. “I am ready for love/All of the joy and the pain/And all the time that it takes/Just to stay in your good grace… I am ready for love/If you'll take me in your hands/I will learn what you teach/And do the best that I can.” Isn’t that precisely what God wants from us? Our best efforts according to his teachings?

It’s difficult to imagine a man turning away a woman who comes to him with these pleas for love, but I find it near impossible to imagine God turning us away if we come to him with this same offering of love and devotion – “If you give me half a chance, I’ll prove this to You: I will be patient, kind, faithful, and true.”

Let me know what you think about the song. I hope you see where I’m coming from with the God stuff, but honestly, I think that part of the reason this song resonates with me probably comes from the human aspect as well (except, you know, for the "man" part). Oh well, we'll see how that goes later on.

Much love, real love.