To put this in perspective I am not a fan of this "holiday" but only by association; usually I'd slate the holiday as being little more than an attempt by commercial powers to extract tribute from amorous individuals. In fact the day had been declared a saint's day in 496AD by Pope Gelasius. Although there had been cards passed as such, the day wasn't truly exploited until 1916 when the British Infantry Forces decreed free postage for all troops in active service for the occasion. Now admittedly the cards and presents sent from the front lines in a lot of cases would have been quite depressing, as there was the ever real threat that a poor lady's beau might have been blown off the face of the planet, leaving her behind.I suppose I see the value in this day for those purposes, professing one's love for one's special significant other is indeed a noble and lovely thought.
The thing that truly impressed me today was this inscription on the epitaph in Mosman.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13
Now perhaps you might call it co-incidence that I should pass by this today of all days but I happen to think it suggests something far more robust than just a $3 greeting card, a box of melty chocolates or some wiltatious flowers. I suggest that you think about this:
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still His enemies, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8
You won't find a more stark picture than a bloodied man who spent hours in pain nailed as a criminal to the most horrid torture device devised to that point as a symbol of love. The colour red may be everywhere on February 14 but it may as well pale in comparison to the most expensive gift ever given. I ask you, what sort of a person would openly go through this just to demonstrate their love?
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