This Sunday is Valentine's Day, a holiday that, oddly enough, for all its secular and consumer foci, has its roots in the church. We won’t get too far into the history of Valentine’s Day (for that, see this entertaining and informative video at the History Channel website). For our purposes now, we will use Valentine’s Day simply as a jumping-off point, a reminder that we worship a God of love. Romantic relationships, familial relationships and even true friendships are stronger when they are based on the reciprocal nature of God’s love for humanity as a whole — and each of us individually.

Most of us have known the heartache of an unrequited love — a love that is one-sided. We have had crushes or long-term deep emotions that never lived up to the relationship we dreamed of and imagined. In some ways, that is like God’s love for humanity throughout time. (It’s a bit superficial to compare God’s ability to love with our limited notion of romantic love, but stay with me.) God offered us Eden; we sinned. God offered us salvation from slavery; we built the golden calf. God secured the nation of Israel; we became arrogant and proud. God ached for humanity to return the love and devotion God showered on us; but when we weren’t getting the message, God became human by sending the Word to earth in flesh and bone to show us not just how to love but how to be love.

When we say God is love, it’s an abstract concept. It is hard for our human minds to put that image before those of Father, Creator or Judge. But, consider how difficult it would be to worship a God who is all of those things without first being love itself. Jesus showed us how to be love as much as our human limitations will allow. 

Question of the day: How do you define love?
Focal Scriptures: Deuteronomy 6:4-5; John 11:35; Psalm 100; 1 Corinthians 13

For a complete lesson on this topic visit LinC.