We don't know what to do with love

If you're looking for some solid theological statement or concrete point that will forever change your life, you should probably go read somewhere else.  I would suggest the Bible. This post is going to be full of musings that may or may not lead to something useful because that's how I think things through.  I'm like one of those fox hounds that runs in circles for a long time before smelling out a trail that leads somewhere, or a gold miner who wanders all over a mountain before hitting paydirt.  So consider yourself warned.
At my church, me and my friends like to have what we call Beautiful Wars.  It usually goes something like this:
"Mary is the most beautiful person on the planet."
"No, that's clearly not true, because we can all look right over there and see that Kay is really the most beautiful person on the planet!"
"Pffffft, no way!  You all just think I'm beautiful because you're glowing with gorgeousness yourselves, and I'm reflecting it back at you."
Winner is whoever has the last word and comes up with the cleverest comeback.  Then we all laugh and hug and go get some more of Andy's impossibly tasty soup. 
I've tried several times to introduce Beautiful Wars to my school, but it usually ends with a disbelieving stare and stammered, "Ohh, um, thanks, uh, you're sweet."  And then there's the can-I-really-keep-the-borrowed-pencil look, the are-you-serious-I-can-share-your-lunch look, the do-you-really-do-think-I'm-smart look, and the do-you-honestly-like-me-and-enjoy-being-around-me look. 
I think it's a little strange that all these disbelieving looks come from people who are generally preoccupied with other peoples' opinions of them and getting others to like them.  I've watched my friends feed off the security acceptance gives them and watched them shatter without it. But it seems like when I genuinely like something about them, they can't understand or accept it.  I'm curious why.  I can understand the need for acceptance and the insecurity that naturally comes when people are cut off from an infinite source of, well, everything good.  I can understand why we go to each other to try and slake our dry-soul thirst.  So when love is given to us, why are we unable to accept it?  Why can't we accept the thing we spend our lives searching for? 
Maybe it's because we're afraid of coming off as arrogant.  Maybe we think saying "thank you" will make it seem like we think we're the coolest people in the history of ever, like we think we're entitled to kindness when deep down we know we're not.  That could be part of it. 
Or maybe we're just so lost, our compasses pointing so far from True North, that we don't recognize the presence of God as home and we're thrown off when Grace and Love come near.  Maybe we've become so accustomed to loneliness and darkness that we're befuddled when we encounter light and friendship. 
Maybe it's a combination of everything.  Maybe I'm tracking in the wrong direction, panning on the wrong mountain. 
I really don't know.
Thoughts?