I'm a Valentine's Day gal, but it's not because I'm a romantic. In fact, my most praised essay in college, as an English major, was a paper I wrote to smear Nicholas Sparks' efforts to present love as this imperfectly perfect, everything-always-ends-well story to women across the globe. Again, I'm no sap.
After all, sin has maimed our efforts at love, and even the noble efforts to redeem its best qualities are easily stomped out when God isn't in the picture or is thrown on the back burner. I know this as someone who has experienced this ill form of love, and I have sadly extended the same.
Yet, this is what makes Scripture so radically lovely. It shows us actual examples, real-life messy stories, of how love operates in a fallen world, how it can redeem and restore our worst mistakes, all with the gentle hand of an almighty, gracious God.
If you aren't the most sappy individual, like me, but you still adore love in its simplest, rawest forms, consider these five Bible verses about love and the faith-themed movies that bring them to life:
1. War Room
"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." James 1:12
War Room is a moving Christian film centered on the power of prayer. When a mother's marriage is hanging on by a thread, she is introduced to an elderly woman of faith who shows her how to create a "war room," a private room in her home where she prays, begging for God's intervention and restoration.
As this film reminds us, love perseveres. It doesn't give up when things are hard. Instead, our imperfect love invites God's flawless love into the hardships and heartaches and humbly allows Him to restore what was broken. It only takes our willingness to open our hearts in vulnerable desperation to God, believing that He can change our situation while, all the while, changing us.
Of course, human nature wants to maintain control of complex situations, but when things are already a mess, why not surrender them to our good God? Why not persevere in the shelter of His promises rather than our false sense of control?
2. October Baby
"Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13
October Baby tells the story of a teen girl who discovers that some of her mysterious health issues are connected to a hard, ugly truth—she was adopted after being a failed attempt at abortion. Torn and desperate, this young lady embarks on a delicate quest to learn more about her mother and understand why she wasn't wanted.
Unlike most fairytales, the truths she discovers aren't pretty. They don't tie the plot in a pretty red bow. Yet, in her messy reality, she discovers how freeing it is to allow love to forgive, granting God space to work in her heart and to reconcile her with the past.
3. A Walk to Remember
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." Ephesians 4:2-3
Am I a Nicholas Sparks hater? Absolutely. However, it's hard to push back against A Walk to Remember, with its beautiful Christian narrative woven into his classic romance book, later adapted into a film.
A typical high school bad boy, caught up in all the black leather and liquor, finds himself in forced proximity with a misfit high school student, a pastor's daughter whose genuine love for the Lord makes her too different for everyone else.
As you might guess, the bad boy develops feelings for this young woman, and amid their budding romance, he discovers her health is in critical condition. This trying time for the young couple forces him to come to terms with her God. All the while, we see her patience with her boyfriend, as he struggles to walk away from his former life and accept a God he isn't sure he wants to believe in.
Love, in human hands, is a process. It's a constant refinement, which requires patience, as we allow ourselves grace to grow and extend that same grace to others as they become who God called them to be.
4. Forever My Girl
"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:8
Forever My Girl has all the Hallmark romance you could want, with a powerful theme of Christian redemption. It tells the story of a young man who abandons his fiancée at the altar to pursue fame. He's been successful for a while, but when he's no longer everyone's favorite country music star, he must return home, where he discovers they have a daughter.
On the surface, this is what modern entertainment's dreams are made of, with all the drama and judgment and opportunities for revenge. However, we see the young woman, now a mom, make room for second chances, and we know an ex-star discovers that love is repentant. It not only recognizes its mistakes, but it apologizes for them and conscientiously changes its behavior in the name of loving others.
This change isn't a facade or a deceptive way to skirt mistakes, as most modern films not only display but glorify, but it's a raw, redemptive picture of how true love can restore impossible situations.
5. 1917
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity." Proverbs 17:17
Though not labeled a "Christian" film, Christians praise 1917 for its undeniable theme of sacrifice. It tells the true story of two WWI British soldiers who are tasked with a mission that could make or break their victory.
Higher-ups have discovered that a multitude of British troops have received faulty information about the location and status of their German enemies and are about to walk into a fatal attack. These two soldiers are to cross through enemy territory to deliver this update to the soldiers on the ground before it's too late…in a matter of a day.
Right before the film's climax, when the battle is about to wage, viewers witness a somber, beautiful scene where British soldiers are listening to one of the men sing an old American folk hymn "Wayfaring Stranger," and roughly 20-25 minutes later, at the very, very end of the film, we finally understand what made these soldiers' sacrifices so selfless.
Love doesn't seek its own. It dies to itself in willing submission. Love is its own internal battle, sin against sanctification, but praise the Lord that His love wins in the end!
No Matter How You Spend the Holiday
Whether you boycott this holiday or dive in with all the mush, I pray you feel God's love this Valentine's Day. And if celebrations aren't going as planned, I pray that you actively pursue ways to cultivate love, joy, and hope in your life and in those around you. In this, we find and exalt God's relentless, perfect love. In this, we are filled.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Monkey Business Images
