Romance

Recently I have found a renewed love for BBC's Time Period Dramas. Movies such as Pride and Prejudice, Downton Abbey and Cranford have reminded me of how much I love to sit at my computer with a bowl of ice cream and watch as the drama of life in England in the 1800's unfolds. Yes, this drama may take three to six long hours of dialog and overly dramatic situations to finally end, but they always do end well. 

I love to watch Mary and Elizabeth quietly struggle against cultural traditions and Miss Mattie fight the never ending stream of gossip that serves as entertainment. But what I love most of all is seeing the hero and heroine, who have been at odds the entire saga, finally recognize their deep love for one another and confess their feelings no matter the cost. The man lays down his fortune for the girl with no dowry or the lady chooses love over security. Whatever the obstacle, their confession is always made in a pure, beautiful and sometimes wordy monologue. The man or woman will pure out their true feelings and they will lean in for a single motionless kiss that indicates that the movie is soon over and love has yet again conquered all. 


I'm not sure what it is about the movies that captivates me to the point of staying up late and blogging about them. Maybe its the dresses and way of life. Maybe its the simplicity of William turning to Fanny after knowing her for a month and saying "Fanny, I love you. Will you be my wife?" Or Mattie's simple but strong saying "the answer is love. It is the final word." Maybe its that good always wins. Or maybe, just maybe, its that these movies remind me of how romantic God is. 

God created romance, so naturally he would be the best. In the book Black by Ted Dekker, the characters refer to their relationship with God as "the great romance". In the bible God speaks more boldly and beautifully then any movie character. In what book or drama do you hear "Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine."Isaiah 43:1 He couldn't hide his immense love for us when He wrote an entire chapter in the Bible about a couple madly in love that represents what he feels for us. I don't even have to mention the fact that He was so in love with us that he died for our freedom. 

My nine year old sister asked today why everything was always about boys and girls and being in love. We had a really cool conversation that got me thinking about all this. As we road in the car and talked about it we would listen to the radio and in Maggie's words, "see what the songs would tell us." They all told us the same thing. Girls, be like this and he'll love you like this and you'll feel like this. Or fall in love just to fall back out and feel like this. 

We all know that we live in a broken world but at the heart of the brokenness is a place that still longs for what we were created for. Our desire for romance and perfect relationship only reinforces the fact that God created us for more and we know it, and blindly fight for it everyday. Yes, the songs that were on the radio were horrible and they affect our youth in a negative way by they also scream for something more, something better. 

As I explained all of this on a nine-year-old level I was struck with the thought that we have something amazing. As Christians, we hold the answers to those pleas for help. We know why people search for the perfect someone to fill that void and we have the answer. Its easier to share what Christ did for us when we realize that everyone wants what we have, even if they don't know it. 

Just some thoughts as I continue to discover what being Christ looks like.