One of the most popular worship songs in the Christian culture today is “How He Loves,” originally written by John Mark McMillan. It is a phenomenal song with a tremendous story. Its passionate yet simple to remember lyrics and easy melody have helped it become one of the most-played and sung worship anthems today.
One defining moment of the song is McMillan’s singing “Heaven meets Earth like a sloppy wet kiss” creating imagery of a messy, passionate and unfiltered love. When the next popular rendition of the song came out (arguably more popular than the original), Kim Walker kept the “sloppy wet” line in place.
The next artist to perform a version that got a lot of attention, David Crowder and his *Band, addressed some uptight concerned people’s complaint regarding the use of “sloppy wet,” and instead sang “unforseen kiss,” creating an image of surprising and unexpected love. To be sure, we don’t really anticipate the love of God, um, ever, even after we know it. But, as you may have gathered, I’m not too hot on this version.
Unforseen firstly seems less passionate, and secondly doesn’t seem reciprocal. In a song about love (yes, about His love) I just like it better thinking I’m singing out of my love for Him. Does it compare? No. But I think that it’s messy. It’s real. And it’s raw. It’s sloppy and wet.
So I was very interested to see how still-under-most-radars-for-some-reason (their acoustic worship performances are anointed, to say the least) group Flyleaf would perform the song. The style of the song is passionate and raw, with intense vocals right from the get-go. I was thinking they would be in the “sloppy wet” camp, but you can’t ever tell with people. Instead, they brought a whole new word to the game: “passionate.”
And with that, I think the whole thing just either got a lot more complicated- or a whole lot easier, by meeting both camps in the middle. I love the passion of the Flyleaf version, a lot.
But as for me, if I had to choose? I’m with K-Dub, kwl. (KWL = Kim Walker Laugh = new LOL.) Sloppy wet.
