February 14, 2014 (Friday)
Today is Valentine’s Day. It got its name from an ancient martyr. Details are sketchy and there are conflicting tales of various people about it all. It’s not the origin of the day that’s important these days–it’s the day itself and its meaning. It’s about love. Romantic love.
Back in the days when I was half of a couple, I gave my wife gifts. There were five special gifts each year on these occasions: Birthday, Anniversary, Christmas, Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day. I miss those days, but now I give gifts (usually cash) to my children and grandchildren and their spouses, but only for Christmas and Birthdays. Valentine’s Day was different.
The Greek language had at least three words for love. Loosely defined, they were words for Sacrificial love, Friendship love, and Romantic love. We use the same word for all three kinds, and more. For instance, “I love chocolate” is a “whole “nother” idea about love. We don’t need more words; we can tell by context what people mean when they say, “love.”
When I was a kid in elementary school, everyone in the class made a Valentine for all the other kids. Cards are popular for Valentine’s Day; the only holiday for which more cards are exchanged is Christmas. At church last Sunday, two young girls gave out Valentine cards to everyone as they were leaving the building after the worship service.
In the words of a famous California preacher: “God loves you, and so do I.”
