Devotional 2-14-08

Lectionary Readings: Psalms 50, 19 and 46; Genesis 39:1-23; 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:15 and Mark 2:1-12.

“ For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

I did a little research on this holiday to discover its origins. One of the most common stories is of a priest, Father Valentine of Rome, who defied the Emperor Claudius II who had decreed that none of his army could marry. Fr. Valentine was jailed for all of the secret marriages he performed and while incarcerated, fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. On the day of his execution, February 14, 269 A.D., it is told that he sent a note to the daughter to thank her for her loyalty and friendship which he signed, “from your Valentine”. Later Pope Gelasius set aside Feb. 14 to honor St. Valentine, but it wasn’t until the verses of Chaucer written in the 14th century, that St. Valentine’s Day became linked to romantic love.

In the US, Esther Howland of Massachusetts is given credit for marketing and sending the first mass-produced greeting cards in 1847. And the rest, as they say, is history. Approximately $14 billion dollars will be spent this year on flowers, cards, candy, dinners and other gifts. Valentine’s Day is ‘Number 2’ for the holiday where the most greeting cards are exchanged. I vividly remember the grade school tradition of decorating shoeboxes with construction paper and lace hearts. Would I receive a valentine from a special admirer? The wait to open the box after school was almost unbearable.

My Valentine “memory-lane” includes gifts given and received of flowers, dinner and cards, some especially significant because they were hand-made. The gifts and cards were all meant to signify a love of one person for another.. This is good: we are to love one another aren’t we?

God answers: Yes, but…

Jesus told us: “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:17) Uh Oh… that sounds like something extra. Jesus also said: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). And: “Do unto others as you would have them do to you. If you only love those who love you, what credit is that to you?...” (Luke 6:31-36) This all sounds a lot harder than it did when I was just sending valentines to my family and friends.

God’s bottom line is that He showed us the way to truly love one another first. It will be hard, but we have a comforter, a role model and a guide for the hard times. God loved us (YOU and ME) so much that he sent His ONLY son to be our example of what real love is. He purchased our eternal life—everyone’s eternal life with the life of His only son. I truly have trouble understanding this level of sacrifice and grace. But that is exactly what it is—a gift of grace. My best response is to accept the gift as an overwhelming and powerful act of love and then try to act in my daily life in ways that demonstrate that the gift is alive in me.

I love religious stained glass windows. They tell the story in pictures and also demonstrate the concept of the kind of love that Jesus was talking about. It is only when the light shines through the different colors that the image is revealed. It is only when we accept the gift of grace that God, who is the Light, can He shine through our lives as we attempt to love one another.

“What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of bliss to bear the dreadful curse for my soul.
What wondrous love is this that caused the Lord of life to lay aside his crown for my soul.”

Dear God, we come to you today, thanking you for the gift of love. Through the sacrifice of both Father and Son, we can know a love that knows no bounds. You love us so much that you paid the ultimate price for our souls. We thank you for showing us that you love us as individuals and as your church. Thank you for transforming us with your grace to be of service to others.. Amen.

Oh and, P.S. “God: Will you be my valentine?” Thanks, I knew the answer would be YES !

Chyrl Budd