Pastor Dan - February 2019
As a child growing up, there was celebrations associated with the months. Of course, December was Christmas, January was New Year, February was Valentine’s Day, March was St. Patrick’s Day, April was Easter, etc. To this day, I still associate February with St. Valentine and Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day has deep roots in the Christian Church. Several legends surround Saint Valentine.
Saint Valentine was the priest of Rome when Emperor Claudius II reigned. Legend has it that Claudius II was engaged in some bloody campaigns and the campaigns were not popular among the empire. The young men didn’t want to fight and because they were married, they were able to opt out of serving. Unable to close this loophole, Claudius forbade and cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome. Saint Valentine did not heed this order and married young couples anyway. What some will do for love! Saint Valentine met an unusually cruel death on February 14, 270 AD.
Other legend has it that when he was in prison, the jailer’s daughter and he fell in love. Before he met his death, he wrote a letter expressing his love and the power of love in the world. He signed it, “From your Valentine”. This became a very popular saying for the love struck and young people in love.
I have received some beautiful and meaningful Valentine’s cards over the years. In grade school, we had those little cards that we HAD to pass among our classmates and the one’s that meant the most were those with candy attached to them. And as I grew in years, the words took on more meaning, but still meant a great deal more if candy was attached with the card. But the words, the words of some of the cards I’ve received have meaning and are meaningful because of the actions associated with the words. The loving, caring and thoughtful acts of my wife, or son, or daughter are what bring meaning to the words of any card received.
Now… take in these words:
“But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” Ephesians 2:4-5
“ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Roman 8:37-39
These words have a great deal of meaning and even a great power to inspire action. These words are a source of identity and are like an endless wellspring of hope which shapes our being and our doing. These words are beautiful and the weight of these words rest in the One who’s actions are associated with them. The actions of a Gracious, Merciful, Caring, Compassionate and Loving Lord Almighty. Now, go and do likewise.
In Christ’s love and service,
Pastor Dan