All of Me
“So if you think you are standing firm, be careful you don’t fall.” – 1 Corinthians 10: 12
I love the song “All of Me.” John Legend’s lyrics are great for romantic love and even better for God love. You can almost hear the Creator crooning to us, “Because all of me loves all of you, hurts and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections . . . .” Why would anyone waste all that on another person, even a beautiful lover, even the most beautiful lover of all?
I also love Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin’s mutualized trans-gendered version in the movie, “All of Me”: “All of me, why not take all of me?” Why? Because the comic set-up is so perfect. It makes the golden rule shine. Poor Lily says, “I can’t even die right.” But then she finds a way to love her neighbor as herself.
I am not sure either Legend’s or the Martin/Tomlin version is intended for divine re-interpretation. They are lateral in that way that most of what we know about “All” of love comes from human relationships – lovers, parents, sisters, brothers, friends. God meant it that way, I think, but also didn’t want to be secondary.
Someone said that the best marital advice is to treat your partner as your highest paying client. Hmmm. What if God is our best client?
The text warns readers: make sure you’re firm with God. Otherwise you will fall. The warning is clear: Get right with God and you’ll be even more capable of being right with your beloveds and yourself.
Prayer
For the Energy and Wisdom to love God above all, we pray.
About the AuthorDonna Schaper is Senior Minister at Judson Memorial Church in New York City. Her most recent book is I Heart Frances: Letters to the Pope from an Unlikely Admirer.