Love Is In The Air. . .

Valentine’s Day is here again!

This is the day when lovers all around the world express their love for each other through gifts and cheesy self-authored poems. Roses and various other flowers go around, handmade cards are presented with a flourish, candy and chocolates are exchanged, and essentially, money is spent.

No one really knows exactly how Valentine’s Day came about. There have been many myths and legends relating to this day, and the most popular legend revolves around St. Valentine. You can read about a brief history of Valentine’s Day here.

Contrary to very popular belief, Valentine’s Day is not a Christian celebration.

It is very much a secular observance, and most likely originated from the West. Western celebrations are not equal to Christian celebrations, and as such, Valentine’s Day is not celebrated religiously in churches worldwide. Neither does the Church encourage any activity that goes against the norm of the people and the teachings of Christianity.

Love, however, is a very prominent theme in the Bible. In fact, the most important commandments are about Love.

³⁷ Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.⁴⁰ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:36-38

God sent his one and only Son to Earth to suffer and die for us, because He loves us. [John 3:16]

Jesus, who was wholly man and could feel mortal pain as acutely as you and I can, prayed that God would take away the potential suffering that he would have to go through by being crucified. Yet, out of love, he said “May Your will be done”, and was crucified for our sins. [Luke 22:41-43]

Jesus, while suffering from the pain of crucifixion and separation from God, was mocked and abused by the Jews. And yet, out of love, He prayed “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” [Luke 22:34]

Love is such a central message in the Bible, that it is almost impossible to ignore. From the beginning of creation, God has done so many things out of love for us.

And yet, we, His children, fail to see it. Like naughty, ignorant kids, our hearts wander to various other eye-catching attractions of the world. We fall for the sugar and spice that the secular world has to offer, and we are entrapped by the excitement that accompanies it.

We break His heart again and again with our actions. And we barely even realise it.

Valentine's Day is not something that Christians practice religiously, because it isn't a Christian celebration to start with.

Instead, I encourage you to show love to the people around you on a regular basis. Don't just use secular events like Valentine's Day to celebrate love.

Tell your parents and your siblings that you love them, and let them know how much they mean to you.

Tell your friends that you appreciate their presence in your life.

And above all, remember how much God loves each person on Earth, and thank Him for His overflowing love. Because without that love, we would not have salvation and hope.