The classic Disney movie “Beauty and the Beast” is a beloved movie. It follows Belle who is imprisoned by a Beast to save her father but ends up (spoiler alert) falling in love with her captor and turning him into a prince again. There is another popular character in this movie, Gaston. Gaston loves pretty much one thing: himself. He is strong, brave, and has many accolades to his name. The problem with Gaston is that he lacks love for anyone else. This is why Belle spurns his advances.
1 Corinthians 13: 1-3 says “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” Herein lies Gaston’s problem. He’s a smooth talker, can make others do whatever he wants and can probably lift a horse over is head, but he does not have love, so he is nothing. Belle on the other hand, is willing to lay down her life for others including her father and the Beast. And of course, love win out in the end.
On the spectrum of love, are you closest to Belle or Gaston? Do you have talents and awards but do not use your gifts for others? Or, do you give to others but not because you care about them but because it makes you look good? We can be very Christian people but sometimes slip into a Gaston-like state. It's important to continually check ourselves and our motives for the love of Christ so that we aren’t a “resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1). Being people of love is what Christ has called us to.
- Kendra Mikols
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