I recently finished reading the Hunger Games trilogy, and I honestly have to say that it’s one of the best book series I’ve ever read. Suzanne Collins handled so many difficult topics with elegance and maturity, her intricate characters are realistic and lovable, and the action is riveting without tons of nightmare-producing gore.

But this isn’t just a book review on the entirety of the Hunger Games in all its glory. One specific element of the series stuck out to me as I read the trilogy, and that’s Katniss and Peeta’s relationship, usually called Everlark.

Suzanne Collins isn’t a Christian author, and there’s no mention of God or religion in the Hunger Games. But I’d venture to say that Everlark is the best picture of what romance was created to be that I’ve ever seen, read, or heard.

Why?

Katniss never seemed to care for Peeta until after or during their first Hunger Games, but that didn’t stop him from constantly protecting, supporting, and loving her. Peeta’s steady, strong spirit was a beautiful compliment to Katniss’ often impulsive nature – and while he was fully capable of calling her out on things, he never put her down or treated her as beneath him.

Reminds me of 1 Corinthians 13 where Paul writes that love is kind, patient, self-controlled, and humble.

But this wasn’t a one-sided relationship, at least not for long. Ever since he braved his mother’s wrath to burn two loaves of bread and toss them to Katniss in the rain, she’d sensed something different about Peeta. Her feelings for him grew from gratitude to suspicion to admiration to love. It wasn’t until Peeta was captured by the Capitol that Katniss realized how special Peeta was to her and how much she needed him, and before he was rescued, his absence almost drove her insane.

At the end of the trilogy, Katniss says, “What I need to survive is not Gale’s fire, kindled with rage and hatred. I have plenty of fire myself. What I need is the dandelion in the spring. The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. The promise that life can go on, no matter how bad our losses. That is can be good again. And only Peeta can give me that.”

Although she kept it to herself for a while, Peeta’s actions had an incredible impact on Katniss and the way she looked at the world. That impact only deepened as “the boy with the bread” continued to stand by her side through the traumas they both faced, and repeatedly put her own life above his own. Peeta undoubtedly felt pain at seeing Gale and Katniss’ occasionally romantic friendship, but he never stopped loving Katniss or became bitter because she took a while to reciprocate his feelings.

Can you imagine how different their lives would’ve been if Peeta hadn’t burned the bread for Katniss? If she hadn’t saved his life and cared for him in the cave? If they hadn’t entered the Quarter Quell together? If Katniss hadn’t fought to get Peeta rescued from the Capitol?

They knew each other so well, even and especially when other people didn’t. After their first Hunger Games, both Katniss and Peeta would have nightmares from what they endured in the arena. These nightmares would never fully leave either one of them, but whenever they slept in each others arms, they could sleep peacefully. Even after Peeta was hijacked/brainwashed by the Capitol he still remembered that Katniss’ favorite color was green, and Katniss had subconsciously picked up on the intricate details about Peeta like how he always slept with the windows open and double knotted his shoelaces.

No one other than God can fill the void that sin leaves in our hearts – and our human relationships shouldn’t be turned into idols. But it’s also true that certain people’s spirits and characteristics can sustain us when nothing else can. Peeta was the only one who could keep Katniss from her nightmares, and she was the only one who could snap Peeta back to reality when his torturous flashbacks threatened to overtake him. They both bonded with the other victors of the Hunger Games, as they all understood each other’s traumatic experiences, but there was something unique and special about the way Katniss and Peeta could reach each other.

But in light of all of this, I have one last point to make.

Many of us – whether boy or girl – would love to have a Peeta in our lives. We want someone who loves us through our hardest times, supports and protects us when other people leave us behind, and can bring a smile to our face when the darkness surrounds us. Nothing is wrong with that; as I said, Peeta and Katniss’ relationship is an incredible picture of true, beautiful romance.

But we shouldn’t settle for wanting a Peeta or Katniss – we should be a Peeta or Katniss.

Don’t just sit on your haunches and wait for someone to come along and love you the way we were created to love each other – YOU be the person who’s known for loyal, unwavering love. Pick up on the little things that make people happy or sad and make them laugh when no one else can. Support and encourage others through their struggles instead of casting them down, and be willing to look past people’s rough edges, look beyond the surface, and love them quietly and loyally no matter how they act towards you.

This is true of romantic relationships, but you can also apply it to friends, parents, bosses, teachers, and so on. These are the seemingly insignificant things of life, but you have no idea the impact they can have on people. Remember Katniss and “the boy with the bread”, and fight for what and who you love.

“For love is as strong as death… its flames are flames of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.” – Song of Solomon 8:6-7