According to one source, the Roman poet Sextus Propertius gave us the earliest form of this saying in his Elegies: "Always toward absent lovers, love's tide stronger flows." Personally, I thought it must have been Shakespeare or Guillaume de Lorris, but no matter. Is it true?!?!?
Does spacial separation deepen authentic love? And if so, does the greater the distance and longer the time of separation prompt an even deeper devotion? I do believe it does, and I say this not just as an intellectual contention or an emotional aspiration, but rather, based upon lived-experience.
On the 26th of August, my wife and I will celebrate the 33d anniversary of our marriage. We will, however, be half-a-world away from one another. Sandy in St. Louis, and me here, once again, at Handong. But in the most true sense, only space separates us. I've just returned to begin preparations for another semester's teaching this fall. The wonderful seven weeks of our time together this summer during my leave in the States passed all too quickly, but it did afford delightful times of refreshment and strengthening of our relationship.
Now, I'm looking ahead to the third semester that I will be here teaching in the absence of my Beloved. But periods of separation from family are not uncommon in these present times. Last semester, Sandy would often remind me during our Skype calls that the men and women who serve us so faithfully in the military are frequently duty-bound to lengthy times of separation from their loved ones.
Our good friends, Kurt and J.Sun, with whom we enjoyed wonderful visits in Seoul last year, are even now separated due to Kurt's one-year deployment in Afghanistan. And just this past Sunday, I met Seth at our Pohang International Community gathering. He has begun a six-month tour of duty here with the U.S. Navy and will be separated from his wife and three young children for that entire period of time.
When country calls, soldiers and sailors obey. Would it be any less the duty of a follower of Christ to heed his command even though it meant parting from loved-ones for that time of service? Jesus has promised his followers this: "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life." (Luke 18:29-30).
But he gives more grace, and by God's grace and mercy, I'm continuing to learn each day the truth that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder.
No comments:
Post a Comment