Pride and Prejudice

(includes spoilers)

I know it marks me as a sap, but I do love Jane Austen and thoroughly enjoyed the new Pride and Prejudice last night. I was amazed that in two hours the movie could encompass so many character shifts. I even liked the mother by the end of the movie. In every other version I’ve ever experienced, including the book, I couldn’t stand her. I liked this Mr. Darcy better than Colin Firth. He seems deeper and bound, rather than just transforming from stiffness to relaxation. As a result his transformation into someone expressive and tender is much more satisfactory.

It got me thinking about romance fantasy in general. Elizabeth Bennet soundly refused Darcy’s first offer of marriage, yet he continued to love her. He went out of his way to redeem his mistakes and to make life better for people she cared about, some of whom he held in disdain. In the end she walks out in the foggy dawn and he comes toward her, his greatcoat billowing in the wind, striding quickly, his face anxious but resolved. He asks again if she’ll take him.

That’s the fantasy: that we can say no, be or look ugly, and the guy will keep loving. No matter what we do, he’ll never leave us or hate us. But it’s not true.

As I reflected on the movie I thought, “There’s no man I can think of who would be rejected as she rejected and continue to love her like that. Most would get defensive and angry, or take no for an answer and walk away. If they don’t take no for an answer, then they’re a stalker.” As I thought further I wondered where that fantasy began.

Then I realized.

It’s Jesus. No matter how much we push him away or walk away, he keeps loving and waiting. But he doesn’t push himself on us, rather he keeps making things better for us and for people around us, and he waits until we finally see him for who he really is. Then he lovingly looks at his beloved and asks again to be allowed to love.