weekend of love

The title of today's entry might be a little overdramatic.

While I'm sure many couples spent this past weekend celebrating Valentine's Day, my aversion to modern commercialization kept me from spending money on candy hearts, cheesy cards, or balloons... but like June, I'm not a complete Valentine's Day hater. I do have something planned for my significant other on Monday.

Instead, there were a bunch of other assorted activities that happened this past weekend to remind me that love flows in many different forms and in many different relationships. Moi-Moi #2, Coralie, was up visiting Seattle, so I went out to eat with her, Shiv, and Steph at a tasty Korean tofu soup joint on Aurora.

Normally, being exposed to a triple of dose of estrogen is enough to make me yank out of fistfuls of what remaining hair I have... but going out to eat with Steph and Cora is pretty much like going out to eat with my family. Like most men, I can always tell how close I am to somebody by how much I let them make fun of me. And by that measure... I guess they're like my little sisters, haha. Even if I have to be sole man to listen to their gripes against all (Asian) males of the world, I can still laugh and enjoy hanging out with them.


.:.


Saturday, I went with Shiv to see Million Dollar Baby. Wow... great film, even if it does address a rather difficult issue with a controversial message. I can still appreciate the sensitivity it showed towards the complexity of it all, though.

More on Million Dollar Baby later.


.:.


Tonight, there was a cafe night at my church whose topic was - what else? - love. There was a great drama performed by three people, but for me, the moment that made me think the most was a performance by Stuart of "Love Song" by Third Day.

The song makes me reflect a lot about "love", but it also brings back memories of 2002 and CoHi, because my good friend (and roommate at the time) Dave gave a stirring solo performance of song there too. You can download the song right here (shift right + click)

The lyrics:

I've heard it said that a man would climb a mountain
Just to be with the one he loves
How many times has he broken that promise
It has never been done.
I've never climbed the highest mountain
But I walked the hill of calvary

Just to be with you, I'd do anything
There's no price I would not pay
Just to be with you, I'd give anything
I would give my life away.

I've heard it said that a man would swim the ocean
Just to be with the one he loves
But all the dreams are an empty motion
It can never be done
I've never swam the deepest ocean
But I walked upon the raging sea

Just to be with you, I'd do anything
There's no price I would not pay
Just to be with you, I'd give everything
I would give my life away.

I know that you don't understand
the fullness of My love
How I died upon the cross for your sins
And I know that you don't realize
how much that I gave you
But I promise, I would do it all again.

Just to be with you, I've done everything
There's no price I did not pay
Just to be with you, I gave everything
Yes, I gave my life away.

The song really reminds me of a lot things, but one thing in particular: how shallow the faux "love" of a commercialized red & pink holiday is compared to the real, unconditional and sacrificial thing.
posted by G at 10:19 PM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33