O Love ever burning and never extinguished caritas, my God, set me on fire.
– St. Augustine
Romantic tension is an essential plot device found in most any film, whether it is a romantic comedy, thriller, or action adventure. Consider Indy and Marion inRaiders of the Lost Ark. Rick and Ilsa inCasablanca. You’ve Got Mail’s Joe and Kathleen. Or James Bond and his fling-of-the-moment in the latest 007 adventure. Romance is an integral part of the films we watch because moviemakers know it sells tickets. We want romance portrayed on the silver screen, just like we want it in real life. It’s part of how we are wired. We long to pursue someone we admire or crave to have an admirer woo us. We yearn to go beyond ourselves and share something special with someone we are attracted to.
The concept of romance is usually reserved to describe a passionate relationship between a man and a woman. In the song “Wild Honey” [Lyrics] [iTunes], however, U2 spins convention upside down. Using romantic imagery, U2 explores the nature of God’s untamed relationship that he’d like to have with you and I. Not only does “Wild Honey” cause you to revisit your understanding of what romance is, but also the very nature of God’s love.
