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Day 193, or July 12. Bring positivity out of negativity. Our thoughts today are rooted

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in Song of Songs, chapter 6, verse 3. I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine. He

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browses among the lilies.

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First the big picture surrounding this verse. Most people tend to think of the whole book

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as being a love story between a man and a woman, and it can certainly be read this way.

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In fact, amongst many Jewish families, children under 13 years of age are not allowed to read

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it. However, there is another way to read it, with Jesus as the bridegroom and the church

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being the bride. Actually, the verses for today may be read for either situation, with

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the reference to the lilies being a Jewish way of implying an intimate relationship,

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not a superficial one. This verse from chapter 2 verse 16 is repeated in chapter 6 verse

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3, so it must be very important, as we have learned previously, Jews always repeat things

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that are important.

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And now our action step for today. When I was a child you had to go to a circus if you

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wanted to see a tattooed lady. But now you only have to go to your local high street

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and you're spoilt for choice. Many celebrities lead the way and many have Hebrew tattoos.

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David and Victoria Beckham, as well as several others, have today's verse from the Song

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of Songs tattooed on them. Victoria's is on her neck and back, with David's on his arm.

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They are beautiful sentiments of their total devotion to each other, but the love of a

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man for a woman or a woman for a man is a mere shadow of the real thing. That is, the

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love of Jesus for his church for whom he died.

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My immediate response to tattoos is to recall Leviticus chapter 19 verse 28, which forbids

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them. But wait a minute. Rather than simply condemning something we disagree with, why

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not use it as a conversation starter to point towards the truth? The proliferation of tattoos

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among people of all ages today can provide openings rather than barriers. Don't let

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your prejudice ruin a good opportunity.