VALENTINE'S DAY!

VALENTINES DAY! Most people think of this day as kind of 'LOVE' day in the sense of romance! This idea began to take root in the Middle Ages, in France in particular, when it was noticed that in, or around, the 14th February in Europe birds began to pair off, and choose their mates. And thus it was that men and women began to use this day to make known their own love for one another in some special manner - such as sending a card, or the giving of a flower. People began to say ' Be my Valentine', and they say it still. This phrase conjures up a lot of images associated with the Day. Cards with little hearts, and little poems on them; candy and flowers given to someone we love. Young and old alike indulge in this activity. When I myself was a youth it was the fashion to send Valentine Cards anonymously to the one admired of the opposite sex; school boy, school girl crushes, soon forgotten usually light hearted. This kind of love is often devoid of commitment and depth, and can be as flimsy and unsubstantial as the cheap card that represents it.

Some years ago now, on this very Day, I happened to be having lunch in one of our local eating places, and noticed a young lady hanging nonchalantly about, and wandering back and forth from a vacant table on which rested a bunch of red roses. She eventually left, and the roses were left neglected and alone on the table. I wondered if, perhaps, she had been overly late for a Valentine's 'love tryst'? Perhaps he had grown weary of waiting for her, and left, leaving behind the roses, and then she had arrived, hopefully hanging around thinking he might return, only to then give up and go herself. Disappointed Valentines!

VALENTINE was a real person. He was a priest in Rome, living at approximately 270 AD. At that time Christians were being persecuted by the Roman Government under Claudius 11, and Valentine became one of those that helped them escape. He also assisted Christians to marry each other, which at that time was also forbidden by the Emperor. Because of his activities Valentine was arrested and imprisoned for his refusal to deny Christ as his Saviour. He was later beheaded. This was supposed to have happened in Rome on the 14th February 270, and ever since ,the Roman Catholic Church had it on its calender, as a Feast Day, a Day to remember the commitment of one man to God!

YES, from the day that Valentine became a Christian until the day that he was martyred, the threat of death and terrifying torture hung over his life every day. But nothing deterred him. He was in love! He was in love with God! Valentine always knew that he could be arrested for his beliefs; he knew that refusal to recognise the old Roman gods could put him in prison, and he knew that if once there he continued to witness to Jesus Christ, he would make them angry enough to take his life. But he continued. He continued because he Loved the Lord, and he loved his fellow men.

Isn't it strange that when OUR world talks of Valentines, and Valentines Day, they have little idea what Valentine actually stood for, or was known for, or the kind of love that he demonstrated. Jesus once said this -

'No one has greater love than this,

that one should lay down his life for his friends.'

Valentine demonstrated this perfectly when he laid down his own life for his friends. THIS is the kind of love that we are meant to also reveal on his Day - Valentine's Day. Of course it is not wrong or necessarily out of place to send your loved one a card, or to buy a gift, or send flowers to them on that day. But these are really only outward tokens of what ought to be a far deeper love; a love not just reserved for just one person in you life, but for all men and women everywhere. For Christians especially Valentine's Day ought to be a day in which we all celebrate the Love of God; that love shown to us in the life and death of our Lord and those that truly follow Him. A love that has a depth of Commitment that goes deeper than any other love; that surpasses even the desire to survive. It is the Love of a God who is willing to suffer in order that His creation can be saved and given eternal life. It is the love of a man willing to risk his life to the death so that others might live. This love transcends all the love the world around us has to offer. The world's love is so often self serving and self centred; its purpose is to serve the lover and not the loved one. When it fails to serve the lover, then the object of that love is abandoned. It is loving in order to BE loved;

it is GIVING in order to GET.

But the love of God is totally UNSELFISH. BEFORE we loved Him, he loved us and died for us. John says in his 1st Letter chapter 3 verse 16 -

'This is how we recognise and understand the ESSENTIAL love of God,

in that HE laid down His life for US,

and we ought to lay down OUR lives for those who are our brethren in Him.'

The Church of the Firstborn of God are supposed to demonstrate to the world around them the ESSENTIAL and necessary love needed to live right in front of God, and each other. We are supposed to understand the true meaning of commitment and fidelity in an enduring and endurable manner as we interact with each other, so that the world around us will become convicted by its poverty in this respect. As we think of the commitment and sacrificial love of St. Valentine toward our Lord, Jesus Christ, we ourselves should be encouraged to examine ourselves and re-commit our own lives to Jesus, and to be ready to love one another until it hurts us. Mother Theresa of India once said -

'I must be willing to give whatever it takes

not to harm other people, and in fact instead do good to them.

This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts,'

We need always to keep this in mind, and to make it our standard in all that we do, whether it is toward our family, our workmates, or the community in which we live.

LET VALENTINE'S DAY BE A REAL DAY OF RENEWAL in the Christian life; remember how Valentine stood up against injustice, hatred and prejudice, and in doing so risked his life until it was actually taken from him. He was not afraid, and did not shrink from publicly identifying with the one he loved the most, Jesus our Lord and Master. He put his life on the line for Jesus despising the dangers of doing so. Valentine did not just send pieces of cardboard to a special friend or seek a 'kiss and cuddle' to make his day. He gave himself up to care for all those around him that we in need. He died to himself and lived for others.

I still remember that lonely bunch of red roses left on the vacant table in the cafe - a token of someones love without commitment; of expectations not realised. One walked away in anger at being stood up - the other walked away because one had not waited. Neither love endured or suffered the imperfection of the other. Nothing was achieved. The roses left to wither spoke only of unrequited love and selfish hearts. They probably had said they loved each other, and had arranged to meet, but what had actually been in their heart? We can say that we love God, too, and that we want to be with Him, but are we committed to Him. We might say we will never turn our back or turn away from Him because we love Him so much, but when he seems slow to notice us or life leaves us doubting his love for us DO WE TURN AWAY?

Jesus once said -

'This people draw near to Me with their mouths and honour Me with their lips

but their hearts/minds are far from Me.'

Even Ezekiel wrote '

With their mouth they show much love,

but their heart/mind goeth after their covetousness.'

Let us not love in word only but in truth. Let us remember VALENTINE the man who died for his brethren, not his lovers. Let us remember the Christian who stood with and by his Lord, following in His steps. Let us follow his example, and the NEXT time this Day comes around perhaps we can take JESUS with us into all our encounters and relationships with one another, seriously seeking to avoid hurting each other or using each other for selfish ends. Just as Valentine DID.

Have a new heart and do not faint for doing well.

TONIGHT Esther and I, Daryl and Carol, and our friends Desmond and Virginia Hales will have supper together in Eldoret Town to demonstrate our enduring and endurable love for our partner in marriage, BECAUSE of Christ alive and active within us. We will celebrate the fact that Marriage CAN be everlasting, an ongoing foretaste of that Wonderful and Eternal relationship we hope to have with God.

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THE WEEK has been busy - almost hectic. The Children's Forum visited THREE children's ministries in the locality, and the District Advisory Council met and had lengthy and sometimes stormy debate on matters related to the relief of stranded and homeless children. Much we hope will come it all, and perhaps as weeks go by I may have to share a comment or two on just how the State and the Private Sector manage to help needy children in Kenya!

The Lord our God be with you all

John and Esther