Parlez-vous "amour"?

⁸Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. (1 Peter 3:8)

¹²See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. ¹³But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:12)

¹¹Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

A few weeks ago, I was blessed with being able to celebrate the birthday of a friend by watching "Cloudy with a chance of meatballs."

Going into the movie, I had expected a kid's movie with some fancy 3D visuals, and nothing more, but I came out of the theatre thoroughly impressed with the movie's humour and message.

Particularly of interest to me was Steve, the pet monkey belonging to the movie's protagonist.

Steve, unlike other monkeys, was able to "speak" through a monkey-translator.

Of course, the interesting part (and something I didn't expect to see in what was technically a kids' movie) was when the translator was applied to the main character's father, a frumpy middle-aged widow, who only spoke in fishing metaphors.

It took a monkey translator for him to finally be able to articulate his love, affection and pride for his son, words which the main character had desperately wanted (and needed) to hear.

Maybe it was the result of my reading of Gary Chapman's "The Five Love Languages" recently, but I was particularly touched by this scene, which highlighted what so many of us seem unable to do, which is properly express our love for one another.

Chapman's book proposed that every person was fluent in a particular "love language," which would affect how they gave or received emotional nurturing and fulfillment. Within relationships, it was possible for one party to be giving love the way they would want (speaking their own language), but for the other party to completely miss the message, with the intended expression of love being lost in translation.

Given the sad state of marriages and familial relationships in the Western world, it wasn't hard to agree with the idea that many people simply do not know how to express their affections for each other in ways which would be properly recognized and received.

What if we could change that?

Perhaps we can learn how to "speak" the proper language for the people around us, in order to meet their needs for affirmation and love?

Maybe then we could reach out to those who silently pray for companionship, and to the people who need affirmation the most.

Maybe then we could fill the emotional needs of the people around us, freeing them to reach their full potential, and to escape the snare of bad habits or practices intended to fill the void.

Maybe then we could help the people around us shake the feelings of despair and loneliness that often go unaddressed.

Maybe then we could truly reflect God in the way that we live.

Maybe.

Then again, maybe someone will make a monkey translator so that we won't have to try so hard to show the people around us we care.

Until that happens though, maybe we should try harder to live out what we've been called for.