“So heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest.”
(How He Loves – Jesus Culture)
“Sloppy wet kiss?” …really?
Whose idea was this? Why does it have to be “sloppy”? Why not “precious” or “tender” or something not “sloppy”? The less-detailed (and maybe more civilized) lyric “unforeseen kiss” isn’t necessarily that much better. Who on earth would want to be kissed like that–without seeing it coming? Sounds sketch to me.
When I think of a sloppy wet kiss, the first thing that comes to mind is my black Lab’s tongue generously slobbering all over me. An unforeseen kiss is also kind of creepy–like, personal space, consent, and respect, please?
And yet, despite these associations, the above quote is one of my favorite lyrics I’ve ever heard. I love to belt this part of the song every time it’s included in worship service. I actually legitimately get emotional. (Now everyone’s going to look at me when we sing this song in dorm worships or chapel or FS. Haha)
I promise I’m not a creeper or emotionally unstable–bear with me here.
Earth–this planet and all of its inhabitants are sinful, disgusting creatures unworthy of love and affection. We by our sinful nature do more harm than good. We are selfish, cruel, proud, and downright repulsive. We don’t know how to love properly–in fact, we often hurt most those we love the most. We can’t seem to consistently do anything good or right by ourselves.
Heaven–this place is one of the most beautiful things we can imagine. We all know what bad is–to a pretty great extreme, might I add–and we understand the concept of opposites, so we know there is an extreme good. In our vast (and yet still limited) comprehension, we have but a mere idea of what incredible and fulfilling wonders heaven is filled with. It’s a place of purity, of peace, of joy, of glory–just to name a few traits. And the best part is, even our greatest descriptions of heaven combined could not begin to scratch the surface what could be for us in the glorious future.
And we all have a chance to be there. To experience all of that. With a small, simple prayer. For some, it could even begin like this:
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.”
When we realize how unrighteous we are, and we remember and ruminate on the One who is–and Who has saved us from our filthy sinfulness–we can come into full repentance with everything about us. We understand that we cannot save ourselves. We realize that there is a better life for us, a better option. We see where and in Whom we can find this new life, a fully alive sort of new life. And we find we want to serve the One who can give us that better life rather than continuing to feed off the unhealthy lifestyles like those of pigs. To go home where even the servants are treated well.
Hmmm… sound familiar?
“Coming to his senses [the son] thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I dying from hunger…. So he got up and went back to his father. While [the son] was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:17, 19-20 NABRE)
This powerful story in Luke about the Prodigal Son, for me, perfectly describes the aforementioned “unforeseen kiss”, the “sloppy wet kiss” of a precious reunion of a child brought back to the Father. The Father, overjoyed by the return of His child, doesn’t care about the time they were apart anymore–He wants to celebrate! His first response is to welcome His lost son or daughter back into the family and shower His child with all the love he or she had lacked in life.
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love.” (Psalm 103:8 NIV)
The lost son, I’m sure, was incredibly shocked and overwhelmed by his father’s reaction–before he even reached his house, for that matter.
I believe that’s what the lyric is referring to by describing it as a sloppy, wet, unforeseen kiss. God’s love for us is an uninhibited, passionate love for us that pours out of heaven and inundates our senses and stirs up a response within our hearts and souls right where we are. It’s so grand and beyond our comprehension that we don’t understand it–and if I’m to be fully vulnerable in this moment…this kind of love terrifies me. It’s unpredictable and overwhelming and in those moments when God gives me a mere glimpse further into the rich supply of love He has for me, I am unreservedly emotional. Its as if my mind, body, and soul are engulfed the stirring sensation of His love, knowing full well that I’m still not experiencing it in full force. I simultaneously have to accept the juxtaposing awareness within me that while I’m understanding His love better, I’m also understanding that I still can’t thoroughly comprehend the current intensity I experience or the concentrated intensity that is still in store for me. (With that, I take it back what I said before. I am emotionally unstable when it comes to this Love.)
I just completed a devotional on my YouVersion Bible app called Love Well. I want to share an excerpt with you as it seems to apply to this theme very well:
“There is an oft-quoted line from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in which Mr. Beaver is responding to young Lucy’s question about Aslan, the God-character in the story:
“He isn’t safe?” said Lucy.
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
God is passionately in love with you. Allow your imagination to stretch to its furthest reach, and then tell yourself you have barely passed your rooftop. There is an entire universe and beyond that can hardly contain the love that is waiting for you.
Stop trying to experience love on your own terms, and open yourself up to God. When you do, when you allow yourself to be truly known, you will discover within you a compulsion to give love away like you have never known. Love longs to be known. It is in that knowing and being known that we learn to love well.
It’s terrifying and exhilarating, this Love that is offered towards us. It surprises me every new day, every new moment I live. I live on edge, excited to see how my Father will demonstrate His love for me next.
“Heaven meets earth like a sloppy, wet kiss.”
Because of God’s love for us, the kingdom of heaven and all its resources comes down and overwhelms the sinfulness of this world–the sinfulness of you and of me. Once we are overwhelmed and full of His love, it pours out of us and onto each other instead.
I hope and pray you run towards the Father that can and will shower you with His love and affection more passionate than anything you will ever experience everywhere else. If you humbly run home to Him, He will meet you right where you are and revive you with His love.
Joy and Love unto you.
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9,10 KJV)
Lines That Shape Me 