The unifying power of love is something that is omnipotent. When people unite, and join hands together, great things can happen. There are things that can only happen when people come together. There are a great many stories of times when people have united, and conquered something that would have otherwise been impossible to overcome. Stories like these are very touching, and often times they are inspiring, and make us want to join hands and be better people. One such story I read was about a little girl named Alex who had cancer, and who wanted to help other sick people. Alex did something that was inspiring, and very amazing; she started up a lemonade stand, raising two thousand dollars the first day. All of the money made was to be donated to the research and help of those dealing with cancer. Alex did so with the help of her parents and family and friends. I thought this exhibited very well the unifying power of love. This particular story seemed to exemplify that very thing, showing that it is indeed a powerful thing.
Alex’s lemonade stand endeavor raised one million dollars in that first year alone and, with the help of all who supported her, has gone on to raise over fifty million dollars, helping cancer research and other cancer-related projects. Alex’s legacy carries on after she passed away at 8 years old. She has set a pure example, and her initiative has helped many others suffering from the very sickness that took her. She has done a great thing, and will be missed much.
Other examples of the unifying power of love reside in stories and movies such as Braveheart, Invictus, and Saving Private Ryan. These are just a few examples, as there are literally countless others that have show the unifying power of love. Alan Paton, the author of Cry, The Beloved Country, has talked about the needs and the wants of the people of South Africa. It was very clear that in the book, the people of South Africa were too afraid to act, thus creating the loneliness that most of the people felt. Their fear of acting out, and doing what was right, hindered the ability to unite, and to love. Not only was it the fear, but the enduring racism, violence, and separation of the blacks and the whites that doesn’t allow for unification. While the gaps in-between the two races remain present, there is no possibility of uniting, and loving. The unifying power of love ceases to be. If there were to be a unifying power of love, it would not be the one to cease, but the fear and hate and violence. It is shown in all of the stories about the unifying power of love, that it is indeed so powerful, that it could break the chains that bind the people of South Africa. A small example from the book Cry, The Beloved Country shows this. When John Kumalo talks to the people, he has an ability to arouse their anger and their desires. He could, if he was not held back by the threat of confinement, get the people to move to action. This is all it would take, and the power of the unification that all of them would share would be great.
I believe Alan Paton knew this, and wanted this more than anything. He wanted the people to unite and to love. He wanted them to join together and fight for the cause. He wanted the chains that bound them to be broken, and to free them from fears grasp. I think Alan Paton showed some of this in the book. The unifying power of love is powerful, and often time necessary. It is a great thing.
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