Saturday, February 10, 2018

Love Is...


Valentine's Day is a time to celebrate romance and love and kissy-face fealty. But the origins of this festival of candy and cupids are actually dark, bloody - and a bit muddled. Though no one has pinpointed the exact origin of the holiday, one good place to start is ancient Rome. From February 13th to 15th, the Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia. The men sacrificed and then whipped women with the hides of animals they had just slain. Young women would actually line up for the men to hit them. They believed this would make them fertile. The ancient Romans may also be responsible for the name of our modern day of love. Emperor Claudius II executed two men, both named Valentine, on February 14th of different years in the 3rd century A.D. Their martyrdom was honored by the Catholic Church with the celebration of St. Valentine's Day. Handmade paper cards became the tokens-du-jour in the Middle Ages. Eventually, the tradition made its way to the New World. The industrial revolution ushered in factory-made cards in the 19th century. And in 1913, Hallmark Cards of Kansas City, Mo., began mass producing valentines. February has not been the same since.  Today, the holiday is big business: Total U.S. spending on flowers, candy and cards on Valentine's Day is predicted to reach $18.2 billion this year (2017), down 7.6% from $19.7 billion in 2016. The average consumer is expected to spend $136.57 on holiday merchandise and services, down 96 cents from 2016. That's an average of $136.57 per person. WOW!

[1 John 4:8, 16] “God Is Love” You may have seen the recent commercials by the Ad Council that tells us love has no limits. It shows people behind an x-ray screen embracing, showing only their skeletal outlines. The people emerge from the behind to reveal they are a same sex couple, to a cheering crowd. The scene is redone with people of different races, religions and ages. Each one is accompanied by the text; love has no gender, love has no race, love has no disability, love has no religion, love has no labels. The ad campaign claims to combat what is seen as bias in our world today. It got me to thinking about how the world is trying to redefine love. We also hear the argument in our world today, "How can a person be against two people who love one another? To try to put limits on love is wrong.” But how does the Bible label love? “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 truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7). To me, some things stick out in this passage that is in conflict with the world’s definition of love. The world says you should cheer when someone is in sin, but Biblical love does not rejoice in unrighteousness. The world says love can act anyway it wants, but Biblical love never acts unbecomingly. The world says you should be proud of your lifestyle, but Biblical love does not brag. The world says you are offensive and should be shunned if you don’t accept what it accepts, but Biblical love does not take into account a wrong suffered. The world says you should accept any belief no matter if it is valid or not, but Biblical love rejoices with truth. There is a saying, “He who controls the language, controls the masses.” When it comes to love, who makes the definition - God, who is love or the world who does not know God? (“I Know What Love Is” by Barry Haynes; Bulletin Digest Feb’18)...love comes from God (1 John 4:7).

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