Love has Seven Names

Love has seven names.
Do you know what they are?
Rope, Light, Fire, Coal
make up its domain.

The others, also good,
more modest but alive:
Dew, Hell, the Living Water.
I name them here (for they
are in the Scriptures),
explaining every sign
for virtue and form.
I tell the truth in signs.
Love appears every day
for one who offers love.
That wisdom is enough.

Love is a ROPE, for it ties
and holds us in its yoke.
It can do all, nothing snaps it.
You who love must know.

The meaning of LIGHT
is known to those who
offer gifts of love,
approved or condemned.

The Scripture tell us
the symbol of COAL:
the one sublime gift
God gives the intimate soul.

Under the name of FIRE, luck,
bad luck, joy or no joy,
consumes. We are seized
by the same heat from both.

When everything is burnt
in its own violence, the DEW,
coming like a breeze, pauses
and brings the good.

LIVING WATER (its sixth name)
flows and ebbs
as my love grows
and disappears from sight.

HELL (I feel its torture)
damns, covering the world.
Nothing escapes. No one has grace
to see a way out.

Take care, you who wish
to deal with names
for love. Behind their sweetness
and wrath, nothing endures.
Nothing but wounds and kisses.

Though love appears far off,
you will move into its depth.

-Hadewijch of Antwerp

As my friend Evan once said, better late than pregnant.

Which is how I feel about this. Manchester Orchestra is definitely not new to the music scene or some underground, unknown band anymore, but until a few days ago (although I had it) I never listened to their debut album "Like a Virgin Losing A Child". I've got to encourage you to check out this album if you haven't heard it yet, it's really good stuff, kind of reminds me of a Brand New feel. Anyway, it's great and considering the fact that these guys are all like 19 or 20 or something, I'm really excited to hear what their future holds.

PS - I know they had a sophomore release, I haven't checked it out, I'm still trying to digest the first one.

You could paint with one paintball gun....

...or you could paint with a paintball gun with 1,100 barrels.



Yeah. That was insane.

So I'm an idiot...

I totally missed the part in the Donald Miller blog at the beginning where he made it pretty clear that this was a mailing list. Oh dang.

So it's Friday...

Sure I have to work for the next two days, I'm really tired and feeling a little weird, but hey, the sun is trying to break through the clouds, I'm listening to some good tunes and I only have one more class today. Couldn't ask for much more. Oh, also, Donald Miller has started a blog, and for his first post he gives us several e-mails between himself, Barack Obama, and even one from possible first lady Michelle. Donald's responses are funny, and Barack's are just a little bit strange to me, they seem almost automated or something, never actually "responding" to anything said. Oh well, if you want to check it out, you can go here to do so. Hope everyone is having a happy Friday.

I've been burning bridges and drowning, but neither single-handedly, and I didn't even realize it until now.

Today was definitely not the best day/night. Most of the last hour and a half has been taken by one of each of those guys above me. I'm just glad that even though this is a little difficult right now, that I know God is bigger than all this and that He loves me and will take care of me. I just wish I was more trusting in times like this, but I guess that comes with the human territory. Anyway, I'm going to go watch House and try to fall asleep. Love.

I hate colds and working in coolers.

I have a cold and work in a meat cooler for 8
hours a day. This is what i feel like. Tonight
I'll be enjoying a NyQuil cocktail and the
slumber of a man who is off work tomorrow.
See ya later world, hopefully feeling better.
Love, Brad