I was walking in the drug store late one night, and from the speakers overhead I heard a terrible fright. Well, that fright was named, "As Long As You Love Me".
I can't explain how much I really hated this song (especially now since Master Bieber just put out a song with the same title which I haven't listened to).
However ...
I got to wondering...
There has to be something redeeming about this song. Let's look at the refrain only (and ignore the rest, shall we? I know, big burden):
I don't care who you are
Where you're from
What you did
As long as you love me
Who you are
Where you're from
Don't care what you did
As long as you love me
Pathetic, right? Desperate much? Well ...
Then I thought of a Bible verse (I was known as Bible Man in college by some of my friends):
For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5: 6-8Even though we (the "who/you" of the song) did things that were wrong (being sinners, or ungodly), Jesus (Christ; the "I/me" of the song) laid down his life to save our lives. "God proves his love for us" in this way.
The question is, "How can we love God in return?" for the "As long as you love me" line? This unpopular, old song holds the key:
Tallis - If ye love me
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you. John 14: 15-17So, "As Long As You Love Me" turns out to be not-so-bad if you change it up a bit.
Well, actually, maybe not.
