In the motion picture, Marvin’s Room, there are two sisters who have been estranged for many years. When one of them is diagnosed with cancer, the other sister arrives to help take care of her. In one of the final scenes of the movie, the two sisters are talking about their lives, and the one with cancer says, “I’m so lucky. I’m so lucky. I’ve had so much love in my life.” “Yes, yes,” the other sister agrees, barely looking at her sister while she cleans the kitchen. “You’ve always had people around you who loved you.” “Oh no,” the other sister says with a look of surprise. “I’m lucky because I’ve been able to love so many people.”
Love comes in many forms, shapes and sizes. Love is not only held between husband and wife. It extends beyond family relationships. Too often, especially in our culture today, we cheapen the act of love, using the same word for our favorite meal as our most cherished soul-mate. I love a steak dinner. I love my wife. Love is not based on a word. Love is based on action.
Love is not relegated to family members. Love is displayed through our actions. This movie scene portrays love among family, and demonstrates the greatest characteristic of love.
True love is not about what I receive from another person. The greatest characteristic of love is demonstrated in how many other people I pour myself into and the depth of my pouring. I can give to a worthy cause and talk of how good it is. But, unless I take action in upholding that cause, I am not necessarily demonstrating love.
I can give a cup of cold water to someone thirsty without love. Two organizations set up a booth side by side in the community festival. One, a church giving bottles of cold water “in Jesus name”. In the booth next to them was a group of atheist’s also handing out bottles of water. We want to believe the group who holds most closely to our beliefs is truly demonstrating love. But what of the other group? Love requires more than simply a free handout.
It is said many young people in our inner cities join gangs because the gangs are the only place in their lives where love is demonstrated. The only place where they feel a sense of acceptance and belonging. Gangs are pouring into these young lives to get their commitment. Perhaps, in some strange sense, these rough gangs have learned the true art of love better than the government, families, churches, and other organizations in our society.
What about you, who are you truly pouring love into? Can you say as the lady dying with cancer, “I’m blessed because I’ve been able to love so many people”? How are you demonstrating this great characteristic of love and teaching others to do likewise?