“Did my heart love till now? Forswear it sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.”

Romeo in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare

Love, love, love… that seems to be the key focus of our Year 10 English students for this term. But it is not without cause.

Set in the term in which Valentine’s Day rears its head, our students have been exploring the classic ‘teen’ text ‘Romeo and Juliet’. From performing THE balcony scene, to viewing a modern cinematic version of the play and on to a professional theatre experience, our students have been immersed in the romance, the conflict and the tragedy of this story of ‘love’.

But, at the heart of it all (yes, a pun!) and the core of any authentic discussion of love is God’s love for us and His image of human, romantic love – a view that is often starkly different to that of our own.

To this end, Robert Maguire (Senior English Teacher) took the Year 10s aside and shared his thoughts on godly relationships. Declaring boldly, that Romeo, in “climbing over the back fence” to woo Juliet, routed the “front door” experience in which a man should approach the lady upon which he has set his heart, through her protectors and carers; her parents.

But just like Shakespeare’s message is too powerful for only one performance, this message of authentic, godly and loving relationships could not be contained to just one hearing. Upon discovering this fresh take on an old tale of love, Salt FM radio station met with our very own Glasshouse Bard and shared his message with their Sunshine Coast listeners.

So, as we leave behind the most ‘romantic’ month on the calendar remember that God’s love is not contained in a bunch of flowers or a box of chocolates and unlike Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, death was not the end of the story – but an offer of eternal life, with a call for men and women to love each other, just as Christ loved them.

Amanda Gook, Head of English

Mark Kennedy (Year 10) playing Romeo in our performance of ‘The Balcony Scene’.