Love is more than a Valentine Card

In the Midst of Worldwide Hate – Love is still the answer

Valentine’s Day is just a door ready to knock.  And considering the turmoil of the world at this point, we wonder why Valentine’s Day still exists.  Could it be, because it is related to young lovers who proclaim the words to their chosen hunk of humanity?  Could it be, because of the greeting card, and candy manufacturing companies keeping it well advertised and promoted because of their bottom line?

I would like to believe it is because of the love experience itself.  Consider if a child is born and never experiences love, can that child be capable of love?  It would stand to reason that if a child never experienced love, only hatred that the child would grow to be a hate filled person.  I am just trying to figure out what would motivate the feeling of love towards another person. 

I believe that everyone who ever sucks in that first breath air, has felt love from the moment of the spark of life; for it was the spark of the love of God.  Just as he breathed the breath of life into his creation Adam.  From that moment, God has been trying to love mankind.  And God gave the mankind a valentine in the Word of God through his servants, God gave the greatest gift of love through Jesus.  Nonetheless, the experience of love has been given, in word yes, and in sacrifice, and in providing a means to redemption through God the Son – Jesus Christ our Savior.  Jesus is our example of unconditional love, because he loved us while we were yet sinners without any conditions.

He loved us before we ever accepted that love, before we were all cleaned up, or rich enough to purchase it.  he loved us with that kind of love that says:  I no longer call you my disciples but I call you my friend, for no greater love does a man have than to lay down his life for a friend.

When asked by a Scribe which was the greatest commandment?  Jesus replied: “ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ‘This is the first  and greatest commandment.’ ‘And the second is like it “You shall love your neighbor as yourself, on these two commandments hang all the Law and Prophets” 

And in the book of Mark the account goes on to include loving your enemies and those who persecute you.  Yet this is the highest form of love, of which there are four; Agape: to love the undeserving, (unconditional love).  Phileo: Friends, being fond of an individual or object.  Storge (Stor gae) signifies familial love.  Eros: implies sexual love. 

Geisler, offers description of different nuances of the Greek words for love .. “Erotic (Eros): is egoistic, it says, ‘my first and last consideration is myself.’ Philic, (Phileo): ‘is mutualistic, it says, ‘I will give as long as I receive.’  Agape – Agapic love, says, ‘I will give requiring nothing in return.’  It is ‘unconditional love.  It is the love that God loves us with, as he loves us first, before the foundations of the Earth.  His love is given but unfortunately, most people either ignore or refuse this love.  And although they may experience the other forms of love, there is no experiencing this love until you give your life to Jesus, then your desire is to love him with the same love.

God is the one who keeps this traditional Valentine’s Day continuing.  Year after year, he is the one that allows us to show love, love is experienced in giving love; love that says regardless of your ideologies, and life style, Christian or no, I love you, I love you.

Have a happy Valentine’s Day…

And let me say, I know God loves you unconditionally –

R.S. Helms