
Have you ever stopped and wondered why in the world would we celebrate love in a cold month? Well, maybe you have ideas of your own, but I'm not going there.

Now according to a 13th century book on the saints of the church called The Golden Legend, Valentine was executed on February 14. According to History.com, while in prison, young couples he had secretly married placed roses, thank you notes and gifts through his jail window. In a video from History.com (which can be seen here, but note, some other info as well is shown which some may not always agree with)it states that Valentine had fallen in love with his jailer's daughter and that, on the night before he was executed, he sent her a love note signed "from your Valentine." Hence the tradition to give notes to loved ones on February 14.
Now, that's sweet and all, but makes me want to gag sometimes.
Sorry, I'm a cynical Gen-Xer and I'm not always trusting on things that are all happy sappy. Sorry if I've offended.
True love, true unrequited amazing love, isn't about roses and notes and gifts and chocolate (but don't get me wrong..I love me some gooood chocolate) it is about our relationship with our God and with each other.
Paul writes in his famous passage on love that
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
The word for "love" here is agape (aw-gaw-pay). It means an unconditional amazing, one of a kind, I-love-you-because-of-no-other-reason-but-you-are-you type of love. One of the first phrases I learned in modern Greek was s'agga po (saw-gah-poh) which means "I love you." And this is the love we need to have for God, for each other, and most importantly ourselves.

How can you show this type of love to someone today?
Okay, no more deep thoughts from this Spiritual Musclehead today.
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