On 'Love Wins'

I watched Howl’s Moving Castle yesterday.  It is a good movie with many layers of powerful, meaningful thematic elements.  However, I believe the culmination of these themes builds up to an ultimate message of ‘love wins’. 

And that is a common theme among good movies, especially Disney movies.  True, unselfish love can really make a difference and overcome anything.

And I think it is true.

But I was wondering: why do we have so many movies and books and stories with ultimately the same message?  Why do we tell ourselves over and over that truly ‘love wins’?

I guess one answer could be because it makes a good story that we know will be well accepted.  This seems kind of shallow at first, but it acknowledges that all humans have some desire to see love win out every time.  It is something hard wired in us – we hunger for love and good to win.  It is simply unsatisfying otherwise.

Another reason may be that we in fact doubt that love does win.  

We go through our lives and experience so much hurt and hate.  It seems as though the exact opposite of love is growing and edging out over love.  So we must remind ourselves that despite the sometimes bleak reality, there is a greater reality at work.  It may not always be noticeable.  It may be burned up and smothered in ashes.  But we know, and are reminded by our stories (fact and fiction), that love will indeed rise up anew to cast off the darkness of our own misguided hate and confusion.

So, why not keep them coming?  It seems important enough to me.

P.S. I promise it's worth it. The whole thing. (And it's not my snuggie rap)