One of the greatest love stories that I’ve ever read about was found in the Bible in the Song of Solomon. Solomon was the new king, and as the son of the great King David, he was like most men of great power. He was a lady’s man and very passionate about his women. But there was one, in particular, that he was awestruck by and he wrote this song for a woman he was about to marry.
The Song of Solomon alternates between lines spoken by Solomon and lines spoken by the unnamed object of his affection, a beautiful, passionate, and extremely sexy woman. The first lines spoken by the soon-to-be-bride, include, “I am dark and lovely like Kedar’s tents, like Solomon’s curtains.” (1:5)
She goes on to explain that she has worked in the fields, and the sun has further darkened her skin. While she appears a bit embarrassed at her skin tone, Solomon finds her skin tone to be beautiful and extremely alluring. In the later verses, he gushes about it as he says to her, “You are beautiful, my true love! Look at you! You are so beautiful. In you there is no flaw.” (4:7)
Her ethnicity or racial background is unknown, but Solomon knew he had to have her for his wife. We do know that she had dark skin, she was beautiful, and she was worthy of one of history’s greatest love poems by one of history’s greatest and most famous kings.
Aside from an ode to love and the gift of sex, the Song of Solomon is also viewed as an image of the great love God has for his people, depicted most concretely in the person of Jesus. The bottom line? God says Black is beautiful.
For too long, people of color in our country have only heard that phrase from people who looked like them. If you’re a White Christian or otherwise in America, it’s time for people of color to know that they are loved, appreciated, honored, revered, and wanted.
Words matter! Send them some encouragement and pray for our country. No one should feel dishonored because of their skin tone. I am aware of the great contributions to the heritage, the history, and the hierarchy of America, and I, as a Black American, am entitled to a substantial portion of it, on all three levels, in this country. The Bible says so; and so it is!
As cultural domination continues even to this day in this country, White America as well as other ethnicities and racial backgrounds must realize that many of this country’s comforts enjoyed today are because of Black Americans. Inventions from the broom to the traffic signal and some comfort items truly essential to our way of life are the result of the ingenuity of Black Americans.
Racism is hatred, and hatred is not of God, but is of the devil, and it has crippled the potential of societal harmony and maturity. If you find yourself in that boat, lean into the example of this biblical hero and see King Solomon’s justice, compassion, and willingness to appreciate all nationalities.
Yea even, as in the case of King Solomon, who became so overwhelmed with the beauty of the darkest complexioned people that he would write in a book, the greatest book known to mankind, of his unwavering and unending love.
It changed history then, and it can change history now, and impact our future history, for change. Be good to one another along the way.
