Romantic Comedies

I love romantic comedies.

My favorite movie of all time is When Harry Met Sally. Followed closely by a host of others including You've Got Mail, Love Actually, and Definitely, Maybe as some of my favorites.

I know, I know. That's not very manly. Nor, I suppose, very pastorly. But it is what it is.

I'd like to think I'm a hopeless romantic. Not sure my wife would agree. But she would say that I have a very tender heart.

Once we watched a great happy-ending movie about a mentally handicapped college student who gets the girl in the end.

I literally bawled like a baby for over 30 minutes.

Romantic comedies done well point beyond the humor and happy endings to a deep longing we all have for relationship with others; for intimacy and connection. There is something deeply ingrained in us that desires connection and relationship to other people.

God knew this from the very beginning.

Pretty early on in the Genesis narrative God sees that it's not good for the man to be alone. And so he creates a woman as the perfect match and mate for the man (see Genesis 2:18, 21-25).

Of course, as you might guess, this potentially idyllic romantic comedy turns into a romantic tragedy just a few verses later in Genesis chapter 3 with a devastating reversal that theologians call The Fall.

But life is like that isn't it? It's a roller coaster ride of highs and lows, peaks and valleys, exhilarating highs, and devastating losses. And there's also just a lot of routine, seemingly mundane, and insignificant stuff like getting up every day and going to work, paying the bills, mowing the lawn, and fixing the kitchen faucet.

Somehow I think that's the incredible mystery of this grand story we find ourselves in called life. And as we navigate this journey it's wonderful to have those moments of romantic comedy to help provide perspective and humor, intimacy, connection, and love.

Of course, the most important relationship any of us could ever have is with Jesus Christ.

Thankfully the story doesn't end with The Fall. In fact the rest of the story is an incredible epic that's still unfolding. It's the story of how God has intervened into human history to restore relationship with humankind and bring about salvation.

May you find your ultimate joy, peace, comfort, connection, and love in Him.