Drunk on Love

A while back I came across a Sufi Muslim Poet named Rumi. He lived from 1207 to 1273 and spent most of his life in present day Turkey. I re-read the following poem this week and it just makes my heart happy.

“The house overflows with drunkards,

drunk on Love.

More come knocking.

Crazed but still bound,

they tore off their chains.

You can’t quiet this ruckus.

The heavens are beating the drums in celebration.

Ecstatic souls,

hearts that serve the heart,

broke free from their prisons

and launched like birds.

They shattered the jugs.

No need for them.

Their bodies are barrels,

their blood is wine.

Oh God, what wine did they drink?

Oh God, what Love did they taste?”

Translated by Haley Liza Gafori

Rumi spent a lot of time with Muslims, Jews, and Christians and while I am not claiming this was a Christian poem, I can’t help but wonder how our churches might fill if we could find a way to simply get drunk on God’s love.

Can you imagine a people coming bound and tearing off their chains? People so full of God’s love that they break free from their prisons and launch like a bird in flight…can you imagine? I can! I imagine we’d have to say, “You can’t quiet this ruckus!”

Lost people were attracted to Jesus and they left everything to follow Him. I wonder what it was like to be around His love. A leper asks to be healed and Jesus does the unthinkable…He touches him.

A widow in the funeral procession, her only son is dead…Jesus does the unthinkable…He stops the funeral, touches the coffin, raises the dead, and restores him to his mother.

Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, comes to Jesus, falls at his feet and begs him to come and heal his only daughter…she was twelve years old. As Jesus goes with him, a woman who has been bleeding for twelve years touches the edge of his garment and she is healed. Jesus calls her daughter. He goes to the home, even though the servants have come and told Jairus that she is dead. He stops to heal a daughter 12 years sick, goes to a 12 year old daughter who is now dead, but He says, “Little girl, arise.” Daughter, little girl, love…such love.

Can you imagine a day with Jesus? I can…I spent one yesterday and plan to spend another one today! I just want to be drunk on His love…drunk…my speech changes, my walk changes, my thoughts change…every single thing impacted by His love. Can you imagine?!