A Perplexing Journey: St. Valentine, serving the body of Christ.

The story of St. Valentine often gets lost in the rush of romantic dinners, candies, cards, candles, flowers, and other tokens of affection. Like most good holidays it's been reduced to commercialism and over-simplification. It's a day that makes the single person feel sad and lonely, and a day that stresses the attached wondering if their tokens of affection for one another are pleasing enough or not. This is not what this holiday should be about at all.

I think it helps to look back into history to remember the stories as to why we celebrate such a day. Most of the early memorials had to do around a feast for martyred saints who served other believers.

Here is a bit from Wikipedia; "Martyred during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner -- until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor -- whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that didn't finish him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate. Various dates are given for the martyrdom or martyrdoms: 269, 270, or 273." more can be read about this Saint and holiday at Wikipedia

So the story of a martyr who helped his fellow Christians became focused solely on his marrying of couples who wanted a Christian wedding. However other accounts of this saint mention him giving safe haven to persecuted Christians, healing the sick, and providing proper burial to martyred professing Christians.

What I learn from looking at the rest of the history to this holiday is to serve one another with a Christ like love, as was demonstrated by St. Valentine. History shows us a man who cared for the sick, as well as providing for those in love. Who was a servant to the body of believers, hidden and persecuted under an un-accepting emperor. A much broader story than simply a romantic aiding in romantic love.

So take this from the history of today, to serve one another in love.

Galatians 5:13 (English Standard Version)

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

1 John 4 7-21(English Standard Version)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior off the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.