I was shopping today in the Safeway market and noticed people standing in a long line waiting for service at the floral counter; they were buying bouquets of colorful flowers, consisting mainly of long stemmed red roses. At first I was puzzled, as this was not a usual sight; then it struck me, Valentine's Day!! Wow!! How could I be so forgetful? I guess it's a common affliction among men who have trouble with dates involving affairs of the heart. Anyway, I was rescued from an embarrassing social situation at home as I hurried to remedy my forgetfulness with a box of cherry chocolates.
The origin of Valentine's Day is obscure. Traditionally, it stems from a romantic fellow in the 3 rd century AD who was a Christian martyr. I am sure he wasn't martyred for his romantic activities but rather for his religious convictions. As a result, he was made a saint by the Catholic church. In fact, there have been two Saint Valentines, and there have been various emperors, popes, and other religious leaders named Valentine. Whoever is responsible, Valentine's Day became an official feast day of the church up until 1969, when it was dropped from the church calendar. Since then, it has been celebrated by lovers every year with heart-shaped candies and cupids with drawn bows.
The word for heart in the New Testament is 'kardia' from which comes our word cardiology. However, the N.T. seldom uses the word to mean the physical body organ, the heart. Rather, it is used to denote the center of human emotion in the brain. Of course, romantic feelings can cause the heart to beat faster, but this is due to hormonal stimulus. The N.T. writers, Peter and Paul, use the word 'agape' to describe the feeling of spiritual love or charity felt toward others that comes from a pure heart and a good conscience. This is the kind of divine love that God has for us, undeserving as we are. He fervently desires to fellowship with us and to share in our lives. It is only fitting and proper, then, that we respond positively to the great commandment, "Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength" (Mark 12:30). Thus we become "God's Valentines."
