Thoughts on Valentines Day

While standing in the Choir at church on Sunday I noticed that many people were wearing red. At first this stuck me as a bit odd, then I remembered that the next day was Valentines Day. As the "love chapter" in 1 Corinthians was being red I got to thinking. Colors have a lot of meaning in the context of a given culture. In western culture we think of green for growth, black for death, and white for purity.

And then there is RED. Red can mean stop, hot, or even warning, but on February of each year it stands for LOVE. Interestingly enough red is also the color of blood. Blood is a symbol of life. Our most powerful relationships are with those who we identify as flesh and blood. Blood invokes deep passion and sacrifice. It's not surprising then that just about every good old hymn makes references to Christ's blood.

As I was looking for a good Valentine's Day card for Melissa, I looked at many that were focused on physical intimacy or shallow romantic feelings. It was difficult to find one that really got to the point of Valentines Day. Deep love is equivalent to sacrifice and commitment. As god on Joan of Arcadia explained in Friday's episode, romance is a superficial, irrational emotion created to allow us to get close enough to actually find love. Romance is great but. . .

Love suffereth long, and is kind;
Love envieth not;
Love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly,
Seeketh not her own,
Is not easily provoked,
Thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
(1 Corinthians 13:4-7)