Make You Feel My Love

At our ‘Music for Wellbeing’ group on Friday we sung this Bob Dylan song. I’d forgotten how beautiful and poignant it is. Many artists have covered it. Although I still think that Dylan’s is still the best version, I particularly like this version from Lifein3D:  

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

It’s a song about intentional love that continues through adversity. It’s love that is a long-term commitment, that has determined warmth. It challenges me to live out the love that I have for my family and friends, setting the bar high for Jesus’ instruction to, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’. Above all it’s love that is felt and experienced through practical demonstration; I remember the Good Samaritan…

I know you haven’t made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I’ve known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong

I’d go hungry, I’d go black and blue
I’d go crawlin’ down the avenue
No, there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do
To make you feel my love.

Some think that Dylan was using parallels from Christian imagery, that this speaks of Jesus and His crucifixion. It certainly speaks to me of the Jesus who said, ‘Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends…’ and then demonstrated this depth of unconditional love. It’s a continuing, consistent love, that will do anything for me, that continues despite my fickleness and inconsistencies.

The storms are raging on the rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain’t seen nothing like me yet

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn’t do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love

I’m challenged again by Jesus words, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Such love says, ‘There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do’ when life is rough and tough…

And on a bad day, when all of this seems beyond me, I remember that Jesus promised me His Spirit… and this Spirit can produce in me the love, joy and peace that will, ‘Go to the ends of the earth for you, to make me feel your love.’