By Rev. Calvin Brown
St. Valentine’s day turns our minds to thinking about love and faith.
The day originated as a feast day honouring a martyr. Several stories of great acts of love in giving his life for officiating at marriage vows to Christian soldiers for whom it was illegal to marry are associated with the saint.
Whatever the story associated with the saint it brings us to reflect on the centrality of unconditional sacrifice in the name of love. Love is the central theme of the Bible. In fact it defines the most characteristic nature of God as love. God Is Love is a famous verse from 1 John 4:8 about God’s loving nature. It says:
• God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. God is love, and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.
• It expands the theme in the surrounding verses: 1 John 4:7-16
Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
It even says that those who say they love God but hate their brother are simply lying to themselves and to others.
The ultimate act of love in the whole world and through all eternity is the way God, who is love, showed His love. God sent his one and only Son into the world to take the punishment for our wrong doing and filled us with His Holy Spirit so we could be empowered to live a life of love. When Jesus was asked once what the greatest commandment was he said it was to love God with all our hearts and minds and souls. Then He added these curious words: “And the second is like the first: love your neighbour as yourself.”
In other words, he emphasized that these two actions are inseparable. We see far too often religious zealots separating the one from the other and instead of reaching out a hand to pick up a brother or sister they think only of themselves and go to war to suppress others. The world would have far different headlines if we allowed the Spirit of Jesus to fill us to overflowing and direct our actions. If that were to happen then there would be no more wars or famine and darkness would turn to light and joy replace sorrow.
Let us reflect on the love that motivated St. Valentine and others like him who are living in God’s Spirit and imagine the world as the God of love desires.
