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I shed tears at the meaning of True Love. I never would have thought a comedy with Jim Carrey staring would move me to tears or teach me more about True Love, Christlike Love.
Bruce, played by Jim Carry, finally relents and turns his life over to God, played by Morgan Freeman, in the 2003 movie "Bruce Almighty" (Universal Pictures). Immediately after Bruce gets right with God, he looks up and is hit by an oncoming truck. Suddenly, Bruce finds himself in heaven, getting a lesson in prayer from God.
Bruce asks to know why he had to die now? God, instead of answering, informs Bruce that he has a divine spark inside him to bring joy to others. Bruce questions, "What do you want me to do?" God replies, "I want you to pray."
A little startled by the request, Bruce attempts a standard prayer, asking God to feed the hungry and bring peace to the world. When Bruce asks God for evaluation, God says, "Great, if you want to be Miss America." He instructs Bruce to try again, concentrating on something he truly cares about. Bruce loves his alienated girlfriend, Grace, very much. When God asks if Bruce wants her back, he replies, seeming to surprise himself, "No." Bruce recognizes that, apparently, he has squandered his chance with Grace and wants her to find a man who will love her and who will "see her, always, as I do now, through Your eyes."
God compliments him, "Now that's a prayer" and assures Bruce that He will get right on it. God steps forward and touches Bruce with his two index fingers, while shouting, "Clear!" Bruce murmurs, "That didn't feel so good." God repeats, "Clear!" The next thing Bruce knows is that he is on the asphalt, with paramedics shocking his heart back to life.
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Up until this scene in the movie, Bruce has been more concerned about what he wants than in caring for others. He is always praying for himself. He is always praying that he will be happier. God designed a plan to transform Bruce, and that change is reflected in his prayer for Grace.
The movie ends with Grace and Bruce happily married. Without knowing it, Bruce was transformed into the man he prayed Grace would meet. Ironically, Bruce, by changing his perspective and, thus, prayer, became the joyful fulfillment of the prayer for Grace, his Heart's Love.
Spirit wants us to see and pray from an eternal perspective: through God's eyes, God's heart. When that is our prayer for the good of another, the prayer is a Prayer of Love.
When you cannot give another what you want them to most have, at least, pray that someone, sometime will… You may get surprised… Unselfish prayer, regardless of what we get or do not get, is transforming.
Possibly, there is another meaning in this movie. Grace, represented by the character Grace, unites with us when we are no longer greedy to enjoy Grace. Possibly, this is a reason that many spiritual persons are not as attached to religion as others. These spiritual persons are more graceful, for they need less to use religion for their own benefit. Indeed, possibly, only those who do not have to have religion can most benefit from the graces communicated through the beliefs and rites of religion.
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