“A Rubber Band Life” by Justin March

“Before college, I did not know the study of human relations could be considered scholarly.  Until I met Morrie, I did not believe it.  One afternoon, I am complaining about the confusion of my age, what is expected of me versus what I want for myself.”

“Have I told you about the tension of opposites?” he says.

The tension of opposites?

“Life is a series of pulls back and forth.  You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else.  Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn’t.  You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted.  A tension of opposites, like a pull on a rubber band.  And most of us live somewhere in the middle.”

Sounds like a wrestling match, I say.

“A wrestling match.” He laughs.  “Yes, you could describe life that way.”

So which side wins, I ask?

“Which side wins?”

He smiles at me, the crinkled eyes, the crooked teeth.

“Love wins.  Love always wins.”

An excerpt from “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom

I love this passage, and it has me thinking about the pulls of a rubber band.  Each side pulls strong as I struggle to find that perfect balance between what I want from this life and what God wants from it.  I do my best to listen to my creator and stay on his side of the band, but the selfish side tends to pull me back, and there are many days I feel stuck in the middle.

You most likely have experienced this before, but what happens when you put a finger inside each end of a rubber band and start to pull?  You are met with resistance, but you are able to stretch if further and further.  And if you really want to test the band’s durability and strength, you can stretch it so thin that eventually, it breaks.  I believe this is what Morrie was getting at when he spoke about living life in the middle.

You see, I can easily gravitate towards the way I want to live my life and enjoy this side of the band.  I can find enjoyment in sitting near a river by myself.  I can be elated by experiencing live music by myself.  Or, I can leaf through the used vinyl record sections at my favorite establishments by myself.  All these things bring me much joy, and when Morrie talks about “Love Always Wins,” my cup is filled with all the love this life promises.  But I do not believe this is what he is referring to, is it?  For in those love-filled moments of joy and happiness, I find myself alone with nobody to share these feelings with.

So, I begin to gravitate towards the other side of the band and listen to what God wants for my life.  I know it is exactly what I am supposed to be doing, yet the other side continues to pull.  I find myself stuck somewhere in the middle, and the conflict between what I want and what God wants becomes strong.  Eventually, I feel stretched so thin that I no longer find purpose or fulfillment in my day.  Just like a rubber band when it reaches its limit, I became frail, lifeless, and unable to hold anything together anymore.

I believe this is what Morrie was talking about when he feels most of us live somewhere in the middle.  We feel stretched thin, burnt out, and lifeless as we wander through life without focus or purpose.  And if we stay in the middle too long, we eventually snap and wither into a useless form that is no longer able to hold life together.

So, the journey must begin to reach the other end of the rubber band.  We must follow God’s path and be open to his teachings.  We must live a life that pleases him and incorporates others.  And the further we travel to God’s side of the band, the weaker the other side becomes.  We no longer live life for ourselves.  Instead, God’s band becomes strong, and we begin to understand that spreading our love to others is the ultimate purpose and mission for us.  And when Morrie states that “Love Wins,” we come to a realization that living a life that focuses on others is also a life that allows love to always win as the lost begin to follow us to the cross.

These days, it has become easy to live a life of isolation.  Covid, streaming services, smartphones, and advanced technology allow us to stay indoors.  We can be as selfish as we want, and these excuses even allow us to feel like “Love Wins.”  But when we take the time to share our experiences with others, when we take the time to engage our fellow brothers and sisters, and when we take the time to put ourselves out there to share life with one another, I believe that not only “Love Wins,” but “Love Always Wins.”

See what you can do this week to get out of the mediocrity that lies in the rubber.  Take a friend to lunch, call someone you have lost touch with, or even volunteer at one of the amazing non-profits this nation has available.  It is in these spaces where I believe you will avoid snapping as you migrate away from the middle of the band.  And as your cup begins to overflow with all the blessings God provides through others, it is then that you will never doubt the fact that “Love Always Wins.”