St. Valentine’s Day, the annual celebration of Love, is upon us.
As I write these words, the bouquet of roses I procured a bit last-minute for my beautiful bride is sitting in a vase on our kitchen stovetop. The card I purchased at the pharmacy a few weeks ago when picking up a prescription is sitting alongside the vase. I added a few of my own words to the precious Hallmark poetry, because I wanted to add my own touch, but I wasn’t about to skimp on a descent card. My daughter awoke to Post-It notes stuck all over her bedroom door, bathroom mirror, and down the halls of the house, some even attached to her cereal, her book bag, even stuck in her shoe. All these tiny notes reminded her of how loved she is - my wife and I had crafted this display after she went to bed the night before. There will be chocolates, candy hearts, and even a nice meal this evening, all in celebration of Love.
In some ways, the actual origin of Valentines Day doesn’t much matter to me. My daughter did the requisite Google’ing this morning to scratch the itch we both had about how this whole thing began, and seems there is no real consensus. One of the more popular stories holds that a certain Saint Valentine of Rome, who was jailed for his Christian faith in the third century, somehow restored the vision of his jailer’s blind daughter, fell in love with the daughter, and wrote her a love letter signed, “Your Valentine,” just before his execution. Now that’s some love story. There are other attributions of the holiday to various saints throughout the first millennium of Christendom, each with some reference to love or self-sacrifice in the name of Love. The celebration is not a legal holiday in any country around the world, yet likely ranks next to Christmas for sales and revenue.
Regardless of the actual origin of this holiday, celebrating Love is the most Christian of all observations. One need only slight familiarity with the New Testament to have heard such scripture references as, “God is Love,” or, “Greater Love has no one than this,” or, “Do everything in Love,” or, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Love is written all over the story of Jesus. In fact, Jesus is the ultimate gift of love; God’s love for humanity poured out in a person, Jesus Christ, who would live to teach and die to save each of us. Oh, how He loves us!
Yet, today’s celebrations are largely NOT about Jesus, but rather romance. Here’s where things get tricky for us Christians in celebrating Valentine’s Day. Is the martyr, Valentine of Rome, to be honored for his faith in Jesus and gift of healing and service to the blind daughter of his jailer, or is he to be emulated in his expression of undying love for the same, even as his death draws near? In other words, do we celebrate true Christian Love or do we revel in the joys of emotional connection and physical intimacy? What is this day all about?
The more I think of it, the more I’m certain the actual origin of Valentines Day doesn’t much matter to me. I bought the roses, signed the card… I’ll cook the meal, distribute the candy… And I’ll do it all because I truly love my wife. I love her in the self-giving sacrificial ways Jesus teaches. I love her in the hopelessly romantic ways Hallmark teaches. I love her in the silliest of ways that no one but she would ever understand! Regardless of the type of love, I celebrate my love for her today. And my love for my daughter. And my love for my family and coworkers and friends and church family and all those who bring joy to my life.
Valentine’s day is about more than cards and candy and roses and pink and red everything. It’s a reminder that the greatest gift God has given us is Love. Jesus spoke more about love than possibly any other subject. His disciples knew that to carry on Jesus’ message, it meant to live in love for and service of one another. As Jesus is transfigured on the mountaintop in front of his closest friends, the voice from heaven rings clear:
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5, NIV)
Today and everyday, for the Love of God, listen to Him.
J.M.D.