Don’t tell my Dad, but I sent him a large red heart box for Valentine’s Day. As I set it on the countertop to pay, I saw a flashback to all the years Dad gave me a similar red heart-shaped box when I was a little girl. Mom got a box about twice the size than my sister and I. Each of us savored the chocolates inside the box, knowing that it meant we were special and loved beyond measure. Love begets love.
While many will gather at restaurants over candlelit tables to celebrate romance, St. Valentine’s Day evokes love among friends as well. Children drop notes of kindness and friendship on one another’s desks at elementary school parties. Neighbors and co-workers share cookies and coffee. The glitter and glow of Valentine’s love in midwinter sparkles and delights.
The Saint of Romance may have originally focused on how to love God in the complicated real world. Though scholars have little to back up the stories, the legend of a Christian priest named St. Valentine dates back to the 4th century. One story tells of an imprisoned priest who healed the daughter of a nobleman, and then the whole family converted to Christianity. Before the priest was martyred, he sent her an encouraging note from “your valentine”. Another myth, according to one scholar, is of a Bishop who was martyred after officiating at secret weddings. Sneaky!
As Christians, we strive to love not only those near and dear to us but also the stranger. This week, I had the deep joy of witnessing your gifts of love go out in a tangible way to single moms struggling with addiction, men living in tents under bridges in our community, refugees newly arrived in KC, and neighbors struggling to find housing and legal services.**
In the New Testament of our Bible, I John proclaims the power of your ordinary and powerfully life-changing love:
“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.”
Happy Valentine’s to you!
Carla
