Valentine's Day

Isn’t it funny how the mythology of our human love involves a roly-poly, flying, diapered baby wielding a deadly weapon!?! This whimsical creature and icon of Valentine’s Day sees two people and shoots them with his bow and arrow…apparently a skilled act of violence makes people instantly fall in love. Really!

So, I guess it makes sense that our cultural view of Valentine’s Day can be viewed similarly, childlike, immature and even harmful to at least our self-esteem especially if we choose to believe it’s only for romantic couples. I have heard so many uncoupled people call February 14th “National Singles Awareness Day” or “Black Friday” and it sure doesn’t help by wrapping us up in expectations; everywhere it’s cards, chocolates, flowers, romantic dinners that make us feel left out if we are not receiving.

Now, I’m not knocking romance or love, I believe in love. What I’m knocking is a “single”-mindedness when it comes to the holiday. In fact, the rather mysterious origins of Valentine’s Day and its said protagonist, St. Valentine is more of the heroic kind of love than the “kissy” kind. As the story goes, St. Valentine was jailed for continuing to secretly marry young lovers, defying Roman rules in the third century that insisted single men made better soldiers. For this he was sentenced to death and later named for the holiday celebrating lovers. But his act of love was his act of service to the soldiers.

So, let’s channel the true power of this very important day, the day of love. There is nothing more important all year! Let’s surround ourselves with love, love with a romantic partner, love for family, friends, being of service to others, and love for living life to the fullest. Love is kindness and love is an adventure….

• Love is not only something you feel, it is something you do. (David Wilkerson)
• You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly. (Sam Keen)
• Love does not dominate, it cultivates. (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)
• Lost love is still love. It takes a different form, that’s all. You can’t see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken another heightens. Memory, memory becomes your partner. You nurture it, you hold it, you dance with it. (Mitch Albom)

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4)

Happy Valentine’s Day
Chris

Chris Gray