Taylor Swift a Theologian?

Kari encouraged me to listen to a new song on the radio by Taylor Swift. I think the first time I listened to it I didn’t really listen and just shrugged my shoulders and said, “Oh wow,” or something similar. A few days later, Kari encouraged me to listen again, but this time I listened to every word. Love Story written and sung by Swift reminds me of the spiritual journey or the Love Story that many of us are involved in.

These selections come from the end of the song and I think they directly coincide with many areas of my life and the journey I am on:

“Romeo, save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel
This love is difficult, but it's real
Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess
It's a love story…”

This stanza reminds me of life and all the material and spiritual things that demand our love or try to tell us how to feel/love. Considering my younger days, the desire to be “cool” by doing the proper things to qualify as cool is a huge misnomer. I love what Donald Miller writes, "I didn't know that cool was just a myth..." There is no such thing as “cool,” but we compelled to feel this way and for me it was a struggle. Our feelings are tugged on by family members, God, peers, girlfriend/boyfriends, you name it, we are stretched when it come to delegating out love. All we can do is cry out to God, “save me” from the “mess.” This begins the ultimate Love Story, asking God to be saved and believing in his Son, Jesus, is our only deliverance from the “mess.”

“I got tired of waiting, wondering if you were ever coming around
My faith in you was fading
When I met you on the outskirts of town”

The next stanza reminds me that sometimes the path gets long and weary. Many times we get on “spiritual highs” when nothing seems like it can go wrong, but we are pulled down by many many things: bills, anger management, trust issues, lack of direction, etc. Many times we allow these earthly things to interfere with our spiritual Love Story. Sometimes we see it fade and let doubt creep into our minds and think “God is not big enough for my problem.” We go searching for God “on the outskirts of town” and even almost lose hope God is even hearing your prayers and we cry out, God “save me” because nothing earthly can feel the void, but God’s love.

“And I said
Romeo save me, I've been feeling so alone
I keep waiting for you but you never come
Is this in my head, I don't know what to think
He knelt to the ground and he pulled out a ring
And said”

Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone
I love you and that's all I really know
I talked to your dad, you'll pick out a white dress
It's a love story…”

We confess that we are lonely in mind, but truly we are not alone when the Spirit takes residence in our heart and soul. Or maybe we didn’t accept Christ when we cried out to him the first time and this is our first realization that we need Him.

Either way, this last stanza is a picture of salvation. God is watching out for you and is always on bended knee asking us to choose Him. God doesn’t want or need our love, but offers it. He waits and offers a “ring” and wants us to respond. After we “respond,” we are completely forgiven. Then we get to pick out a white dress, because we are washed clean of our sins by Jesus. It says, "...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:25-27). It all ties into the ultimate Love Story.

What an amazing picture of salvation. It is our choice daily to continue to accept the love, bask in His love, share His love and live out our relationship with Christ by loving God and our neighbors.

I think it is an amazing Love Story. I hope that your own Love Story is progressing. God Bless.