ARE CHRISTIANS PERMITTED TO WRITE POETRY AND COMPOSE LOVE SONGS?

Song of Solomon 1:7a – “Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, where you pasture your flock, and where you make it rest at noon.”

Perhaps the above question should be phrased more precisely: “Are Christians permitted to love?” Or are they restricted to revering and loving God alone, without permission to love anyone else? If Christians are called to love unbelievers, surely we are not forbidden from experiencing love on a personal level? As children of the Light, Christians must bear witness to the world in every aspect of life, not limit our love for God to the spiritual realm alone. Naturally, God is the One we love most—above everyone else in the world. Yet Christians can still experience personal love. God Himself created Eve for Adam and instituted the first marriage (Genesis 2:18, 21–24). Abraham loved Sarah until the very end (Genesis 25:9–10). Isaac loved Rebekah the moment he first met her (Genesis 24:67). Jacob loved Rachel so deeply that he considered fourteen years of labor a price worth paying (Genesis 29:15–30). God also saw fit to have the Song of Solomon recorded so that we, as Christians, might learn from it. Another issue worth addressing is the lives of Christian youth.

We all recognize that this is the age when young people begin to experience romantic love. If they lack Christian poetry and music to express their feelings, they will inevitably turn to secular works—a reality that cannot be avoided. Yet we know that music from non-believers often contains content unsuitable for listening to or mentioning. Take, for instance, the lyric: “Does the rain at your husband’s home make you weep? Does it make you long for the days of our passionate love?” If this is merely imagination, that is one thing—after all, we cannot forbid artists from using their imaginations. However, if it reflects a past reality, such songwriting harms another person’s marriage; it humiliates the husband, exposing him to the mockery of friends who might say, “Someone else enjoyed the meat, while he is left to clean up the shells.” Countless other examples exist, though time does not permit us to list them all here. For this reason, the Christian community should create and pass down poetry and love songs—written by older generations—to the youth who follow. Yet, one crucial point remains: when composing such works, Christians must choose our words carefully to ensure Christian music does not fall into the same pitfalls as secular music. While the secular world may embrace reckless passion and a fast-paced lifestyle—and reflect this in its art—Christians are called to love with purity and mutual respect, in accordance with God’s Truth. The Bible addresses romantic love throughout—almost to the same extent as salvation. This is because God desires His children to live holy lives in every aspect (Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 1:16). Furthermore, Christians must remember not to sing romantic love songs during worship—even at youth worship services—because those times must belong entirely to the Lord. He alone is to be glorified and exalted. Amen.