Saturday 31 January 2009

A definition to remember

Recently I watched the hollywood movie: A walk to remember. It reminded me of two other movies namely Sweet November and The Notebook. All three being sweet movies and interesting to watch in their own place. If you have seen all three maybe you can connect the three movies too.
There is a quote in the movie from the bible that I liked, posting it below:

“Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offense. There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and endurance. Love takes no pleasure in other peoples sins but delights in the truth; It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end.”

10 comments:

Ali Dar said...

This movie is one of my favorites. It's not just another teen movie. And I really liked this quote when I watched the movie long time ago.

And What? You just recently watched the movie. Where did you get the movie at last? But I'm happy you eventually you did watch :)

Saira Andleeb said...

Im not a fan of love stories ... and therefore this movie is just another fictional/fantasy story that hardly exists in real life.

But this particular quote sounds nice MAINLY because its from *Bible* :)

Ali Dar said...

"Im not a fan of love stories ... and therefore this movie is just another fictional/fantasy story that hardly exists in real life."

So your not a fan of a movie and *therefore* it's fictional/fantasy story. That's one pretty good logical reasoning.

Btw What was so fictional about the movie? Were they flying in the air?

Syra said...

on how I got the movie
Ali, i can tell you but then I will have to kill you :)

Saira, since it is from the Bible, its Gods description of love which means it can't get any better and since God says it, I can safely and happily conclude that such a love exists :). i
If only you can witness one magical love story around you or oooo even better! maybe its going to be yours :)

Saira Andleeb said...

@Ali: :) ... i didnt write :
"I'M not a fan of A MOVIE and *therefore* it's fictional/fantasy story.

I wrote:
"Im not a fan of love stories "..." and therefore this movie is just another fictional/fantasy story that "hardly exists in real life"."

i just meant to say that such LOVE STORIES shown in movies is something that i never got to see in real life.

Ive never seen people totally change for the one that they are in love with (or think they are in love with). I have never seen a someone make a big house after years of losing a girl, he fell in love with when he was 17 (Notebook).

I see people claiming to be in love all the time, but never trying enough to be with that person or atleast be THERE for that person.

And in my 27 years of life i have NOT seen that happen around and that is whay I dont get touched by such love stories, because they seem unreal to me, and hence fictional.

And may be many of you have seen that happen and therefore you are touched by them.

I dont like a ghost movie cos i know ghosts dont exist. But that's ME just me ... :).

Saira, Yes that love exists, who says it doesnt! :) But the one shown in that movie probably doesnt!

An atheist may sound very logical about the non-existance of any god but then so would a a believer too ... because its probably not a matter of argument or someones logic, its a matter of experience!

khany said...

thanks for sharing syra. this quote is no doubt eloquent.

surprisingly sweet words always put me on my guard. how often we believe something, or buy something, completely worthless only because it was offered to us with a sweet sounding jingle. i think beauty of the language should not distract us from testing the words against more firmly established ideals and empirical evidence. and here i am not only referring to commercial advertisements. in my opinion, many popular idioms, chichés, fall in this category, e.g. "where there is a will there is a way", "a family that prays together stays together", etc. these are sweet sounding words. they inspire hope. but does it make them true? they are not divine words. and they do not capture our lived experience. is it justifiable to deceive ourselves in order to maintain hope? i think not. because the price we pay when myths of our own making are shattered through bitter experience will force us into cynicism or worse, disbelief.

saira: are you thinking of 'love stories' too narrowly? i am sure if you weigh these words against a mother's love for her baby, you will find they are quite balanced. patient, kind, not envious, not conceited, not rude, not selfish, faith and hope ... all of these aspects are fulfilled in a mother's love.

syra: i wouldn't be so quick to ascribe those words to god. in fact, this quote from the bible is from "1st corinthians", a letter written by paul of tarsus. paul became a christian after a vision of jesus (peace be upon him) appeared to him on the road to damascus (before this time he was a bounty hunter rounding up christians to be executed by the roman authorities). following this vision paul proclaimed himself an apostle to the christians claiming to be instructed by jesus (whom he never met) introduced several innovations (according to muslim understanding) into the christian religion. he is author of almost half the books in the new testament! he established the church, claimed jesus was god, that jesus died for man's sin, he taught that simply believing in jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for salvation and that christians did not need to adhere to the old testament rules!

in this very excerpt from his letter he attempts to describe 'agape'(greek word earlier translated into english as 'charity' but more recently and popularly as 'love') that christians should feel for one another. paul believed that christians should remain single (unmarried) their entire lives since marriage deters their love from their lord towards their spouses. marriage, to him, was justifiable only as the lesser of evils. so, in fact, not only was romantic love not the inspiration of these verses on love but rather i believe that precisely such love is excluded by them. of course hollywood can choose to have a different interpretation =)

Saira Andleeb said...

Aoa Khany,
Hope you are doing good.

I actually like the quote (read what i wrote above again :). And agree that these words hold true for love like that of a mother's love for her baby ... but i believe it CANT hold true for a mans love for a woman and vice versa (as shown in these love stories).
Trying to say what you put(in a better way :)) in the first paragraph here that: "...is it justifiable to deceive ourselves in order to maintain hope? i think not. because the price we pay when myths of our own making are shattered through bitter experience will force us into cynicism or worse, disbelief.
"


:)

khany said...

w/salaam saira,

alhamdu lillah. i am well. thank you. pray that you are also well. you know on my first reading of it your rendering of my quote sincerely read better. lol.
thank you for the compliment :D

everybody seems to be misunderstanding your comments. what's up with that?!

Syra said...

The first time I came across this quote, "mothers love" came to my mind too.

I don't see why it won't hold true for a mans love for a woman or vice versa.

Khany, I will keep that in mind. Thank you.

If anyone comes across a relevant Hadith or Quranic verse, please do share with me. I don't seem to remember to have come across any.

Saira Andleeb said...

Alhamdulillah i am fine too :).
You know i have been thinking the same that why is everyone misreading my comments :( ... :).

I think probably cos I have NOT been able to put my words in a very decipherable and less abstract way :).

@Saira: Hadith and Quran talk about Loving Allah and Muhammad (S.A.W) more than any other creature. And as a consequence of that being kind and giving to HIS creatures.