I just watched the Alamo, and while watching I realized something. What makes these stories great? These stories like the last samurai, the alamo, and others like them stir our hearts and make us aspire for something, how, why?
I would submit that they are great because they are all about love. All great stories are about love. The stories that stick with us, the ones that move us, the ones that impact and inspire us -- they are all about love.
You may ask me, how the Alamo was about love, but it seems clear to me. Love is not always between a man and a woman, or a man and his family. But let me ask you in return, what causes someone to be willing to fight and die for something? It isn't hate, or a simple preferance, a general sense of affection, or a sense of "duty". No, it is something higher. All men love something, or someone. It is ingrained in us, it pulls at us and draws us to it. It sometimes consumes us, and dominates our every waking thought. We find ourselves seeing life through the lens of what we love. Everything becomes related to it, linked to it. That thing, whatever it may be -- man, woman, child, thing, or ideal, that thing that we love, we know we love it by our willingness to fight and die for it. Now I answer the question, How was the Alamo about love? On Feb. 23, 1836, approximately 180 men including Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and William Barrett Travis led the defense of a broken down old mission in San Antonio, Texas for 13 days, against over 5,000 trained regular troops giving Gen. Sam Houston just enough time to build an Army. On March 6, 1836 every man in the Alamo fought to the death after they voluntarily refused to accept an offer of safe escape. What motivated those men to fight? I ask you this, knowing the answer. Love, maybe for family, maybe for freedom, maybe for principle, but love none the less. No other force can so inspire others to such great nobility, to aspire within themselves to be great, and to sacrifice themselves. "The taking of a life, brings no man honor." But the giving of it up brings the greatest honor of all.
Posted by GodzScout at April 26, 2004 12:01 AMThis is an interesting new view point on love in our lives. I guess when I usually think about love it is the relational kind not the kind you have for a belief or duty. Thanks for shedding some new light on love.
Posted by: Laura at May 5, 2004 11:30 PM