When I was in elementary school, Valentine’s Day was an opportunity for you to share with your friends and classmates how cool you thought they were – share something that you loved about them. We would always have valentines cards and bags of those candy hearts – you know the ones with words and phrases on them. We each received a handful of candy hearts and would sort through them to set aside one heart for each person in the class. Along with it, we wrote cards with words of affirmation to each person. Yes, each student received a candy heart and valentine from every student in the class.
We often associate Valentine’s Day with romantic love, but it doesn’t always have to be so. I learned in elementary school that all people deserve to be shown love – this does not mean we show the romantic type of love to everyone. Instead, we can show God like love to others – a love that shows others dignity, creates acceptance and belonging, that fosters connection and community. This was not just practiced on Valentine’s Day but every day in our classroom. This was a lesson that I learned early on in life that transformed my heart and left a lasting imprint on my life to this day.
We do so because God first loved us. The Bible is God’s love letter to His people – sharing conversation hearts of love with His people – revealing His love for us. When God created humanity, he imprinted His image on us and love within us. In our baptism, we are reminded that we are God’s Beloveds and there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. The cross is another reminder of God’s sacrificial and redemptive love for His people. God’s love for His people abounds and is overflowing.
The scriptures are filled with messages of love from God that can hold and comfort us in times of fear, grief, sorrow, pain, and suffering. God’s love can transform the lives of the most unexpected people bringing new life from the ashes. God’s love upholds us, strengthens us, and gives us the courage to hold fast to our faith especially during the stormy seasons of life. God’s love gives us the courage to speak love into others and embody love in our actions each day. God’s love shares in the celebrations of life filling us with an everlasting joy. Hold onto the promise of God’s love for you always! God’s love is not to be kept to ourselves but shared with others so that His love creates ripple effects throughout this world.
Epiphany Blessings,
Pastor Jenn