You Aspects
of Romantic Love Aspects
of Romantic Love God
obviously approves of romance – after all, putting
Adam and Eve alone together in the Garden of Eden was his
idea. And romance – love between a man and a woman -
has been around ever since. The
history of the Israelites began with three great romances:
Abraham and Sarah. Isaac and Rebekah. Jacob and Rachel.
The on-going history of When
we reach the New Testament, we find real love between
Joseph and Mary (even when Joseph thought Mary had been
faithless, he did not want to harm her). St Paul, though
himself a bachelor, nevertheless spent a lot of time
urging Christians to love and be kind and faithful and
considerate to their spouses. He even wrote 1 Corinthians
13 – the great love chapter that is read at millions
of weddings worldwide 2000 years later. Down
the centuries ever since, romantic love has been critical
in shaping history (Anthony and Cleopatra), in shaping
cultural ideals (King Arthur and the Knights of the Round
Table). Some of our favourite stories are built on
romance. (Puccini's Tosca, Shakespeare's Romeo and
Juliet, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte
Bronte's Jane Eyre.) Romance
remains as prominent now as it ever was, added to which
we have films, television and drama all flying the
romantic flag. Catherine Cookson, Barbara Cartland and
Mills and Boon novels flood the market. Titanic's love-song
was a smash hit. Wherever we look, whatever we do,
romance continues to permeate every aspect of life. The
old adage that 'love makes the world go round' is
irrefutable – and it also seems to make the galaxies
go round, too. (Think of the Star Wars films.) Certainly
romance is alive and well in And
what of the future? Well, just as the Bible begins with a
love story, so it ends with one. And you are involved!
For actually the greatest Love Story of all time is that
between God and his people. Christ
is described in Revelation as our heavenly Bridegroom,
and the Church is his beloved Bride. He has given us the
most expensive present of all – himself. And, just
as in all the best romances, the story will end with the
bride and groom getting together at last, so at the End
of Time, Christ will return for his Bride. Tugging
the heart-strings Which
is your favourite romantic film or song? Films It's a
Wonderful Life Songs As
Times Goes By ( Pet
names would you admit to having any of the following? Snugglebum
When
you've lost the one you love Written
by a grieving husband There
are moments in life when you miss someone so much
that you want to pick them from your dreams and hug
them. So dream what you want to dream; go where you want
to go; be what you want to be, because you have only this
one life and one chance to do all the things you want to
do. May
you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough
trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you
human, enough hope to make you happy. Always
put yourself in others' shoes. If you feel that it hurts
you, it probably hurts the other person, too. The
happiest of people don't necessarily have the best
of everything; they just make the most of everything that
comes along their way. Happiness
lives for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have
searched, and those who tried, for only they can
appreciate the importance of people who have touched
their lives. Love
begins with a smile, grows with a kiss and ends with a
tear. The brightest future will always be based on a
forgotten past. You can't go on well in life until you
let go of your past failures and heartaches. When
you were born, you were crying and everyone around you
was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're
the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying
and smiling. Be
My Valentine 1. How
and when did you first met? Love
is… What
do children know about love? When questioned, some four
to eight year olds came up with the following: - When
you're born and see your mommy for the first time. That's
love. What's
in your name? You
might choose, for example, the Vicar and PCC, or the
Sunday School, and go through their first names, giving
the origin of the name. Any library will have a book of
first names that will help you. Or
– you could go around the families who've had babies
baptised at your church within the last year or two, and
ask them to explain how they came to choose the names
that they did for their children, and if the names
reflect any of their hopes for their child.
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