In praise of a sloppy wet kiss

A review of “How He Loves” by John Mark McMillan – Part 1

I have had numerous people asking me about the song, and have shared in many interesting conversations about it. I would like to spend this post talking about some things I appreciate about this song.

1. The Chorus
I love the chorus. Simple, singable, memorable, and powerful.

2. Vivid imagery
The song is full of vivid images describing God’s love and its effect on us. Contains a handful of similies and metaphors with very descriptive language.

3. Some good biblical concepts
The song begins with a great line that reminds us that God is a jealous God. I couldn’t think of another songs that addresses this concept. I did a search of the CCLI Song Select database, and did find that there were 132 songs that included the word “jealous”. This, however, is a pretty small percentage given the several thousand songs in the database.

I was initally skeptical of the line that says “we are his portion and He is our prize”, but found support for that in Zech. 2:12. There is says “The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem”. NIV

4. Chorus
I really like the chorus.

5. Story
Like many great songs, this song was birthed out of personal tragedy.

How He Loves : A Song Story from john mark mcmillan on Vimeo.

Understanding the story behind the song is critical for understanding what the lyrics are trying to say.

6. Effectiveness
I have no doubt that the message of this song resounds with many people, and any concerns that might have with it do not negate the fact that God can use this song to bring glory to Himself through it.

7. Chorus
Did I mention that I liked the chorus?

More to come…

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