Words From Pastor Jeff...
February 2012
There's not much known about Valentine's Day. The Legenda Aurea by Jacobus de Voragine, compiled around the year 1260, gave a little bio of each of the saints. It states that St. Valentine refused to deny Christ before the Emperor Claudius in the year 280 AD. Before having his head cut off as punishment, Valentine restored the sight and hearing of the jailer's daughter, with whom he had formed a bond of friendship. How we got to candy hearts, cupids and roses from there I'm not sure. Suffice it to say that Valentine's love for humanity was shown throughout his life, undaunted even by those who imprisoned him and eventually took his life.
Romantic love is a wonderful thing. It can make one feel as if he or she has wings. It can rob the one caught in its grip of sleep and appetite. The object of such romantic thoughts can fill a person's head all day long. I see in Valentine's story, however, something more. The love that was expressed by this man was more than romantic, certainly not mushy or sentimental, but rather had become a way of life. The love of Christ had filled this man and he was able to express it to everyone, even those who kept him imprisoned. That is Kingdom love. Sometimes churches can lose sight of this unconditional, Christ-like love which we are to share, especially with others of the faith.
There is an old story that speaks of a Benedictine community of monks to whom nobody came. The monks grew old and became more and more disheartened as they tried to understand why their community was not attractive to others. In the woods close to the monastery there lived an old rabbi. People came from all over to speak to him about the presence of Yahweh in their lives. So the abbot went to speak to the rabbi about the concern of monks. It was a great humiliation that he had to go to a rabbi to find out what was wrong with a Christian community, but he decided he must go. When the abbot arrived at the rabbi's hut the rabbi greeted the abbot with open arms. The abbot explained that his monks were good men, but that the fire was gone out of them and the community was dying. He asked if the rabbi had any insight into Yahweh's work in their lives.
"I have the secret and will tell you only once," said the rabbi. "You may tell your monks the secret only once and then never speak of it again." The abbot promised and waited for the answer for which he and his monastery longed. "The secret," continued the rabbi, "is that among you, in one of you, is the Messiah!" The abbot went back to the monastery and told the monks the secret. They each began to search for Christ in one another, and as they did so, they began to grow and love, and become stronger. Soon they each saw the Christ in each other and the community flourished.
That rabbi had a better understanding of Christianity than those monks did. Paul tells us that Christ is in us. He is there in each of us. The rabbi was correct, all they had to do was look for Him and they would surely see Him there. If Christians always treated each other the way we would treat Jesus Himself, with that level of respect, love, and importance, how much more effective would ministries of a church be? How much more effective would evangelism efforts be? No one could enter such a church and not feel that love as an almost tangible presence among all the people. They would be drawn to such a church like metal filings to a magnet! This Valentine's Day we will, no doubt, let our sweethearts and those close to us, know how we feel about them. Valentine's Day is always an important day. I would hope, however, that the desire to express the love St. Valentine expressed would be far greater. That love, that Christ-love, that God-love, will change far more lives than even that of romance, once it is offered by all those of the Body of Christ. Happy Valentine's Day...and see you in church.
God's Peace,
Jeff