Tuesday 7 December 2010

Actually?

Last night, as Rathcoole was covered in a layer of icing, the Christmas feeling was starting to hit.

We had some visitors, there was Roger and the Special One and the Special One's Better Half.  Unfortunately one of our number had been detained by Peter Kay but we'll not hold that against him.  After a brief chat about how I had missed the most important part of the Downpatrick Christmas tree saga - the fact that Jedward turned on the lights (thanks to the well-informed Special One's Better Half) - the six of us decided to indulge in all things festive with a film that celebrates the true meaning of the season - Love Actually.

Ah what a heart-warming tale it is. Love, loss, and inevitably, love again.  Staring the annoyingly handsome Hugh Grant, the charmingly handsome Colin Firth, the awkwardly handsome Martin Freeman, the ruggedly handsome Liam Neeson and Alan Rickman.  Not to mention Tiffany from Neighbours, little Keira Knightly and the fabulous Emma Thompson.

This film is set in a perfect world where it doesn't matter if you catch your brother sleeping with your wife or if your gay best friend fancies your bride, or if you're a bumbling Prime Minister who slags off the US president, or if your husband is buying expensive gifts to his secretary or if you are a porn star. It's all OK just as long as you have love, actually.

Despite the cynical, heart-string pulling, implausible storyline, I quite liked it, actually.  It's one of those films that just makes you feel nice inside (in an amoral, whats-the-world-coming-to kind of way).

In a way the message is exactly on track.  It matters not what way you have lived your life because love can conquer all.  But it's not the love of a beautiful woman it's the love of God and your loving response to that love.  That love will quite literally cover a multitude of sins, it is all around us, it must be that love, that love changes everything.

This unique love is a perfect one.  Not marred by betrayal or jealousy or hurt. It's a love of the Holy for the unholy, it's forgiving, redeeming, sanctifying love.  It is miraculous and it is mine.  Maybe it's yours too (you'll understand why I feel this way about it), if it's not and you want it, you can have it.

If you are alone or just lonely, if you are heart-broken or a heart-breaker there is a love that will change your life for ever.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
John 4:10


2 comments:

  1. I love that to Jesus we are perfect just as we are



    Ps someone stands at my door with a sign saying 'to me you are perfect'... Dream!

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