Today is St Valentine's Day. As far as I remember, I've never received a Valentine's card. Certainly never when I was at school - to say the least I wasn't popular. It always struck me as a fairly 'hurtful' sort of celebration - popular folks, considered attractive, got loads, whilst some folk, like me, got none. So I was 'off' it in a fairly big way.
Linda, when I met her, was of the same sort of mind, so we decided not to celebrate it, in sympathy and solidarity with those for whom it's a difficult day. But then we made friends with a lovely American Christian lady, Lissa, who saw it differently (as she does a lot of things), and took it broadly as an opportunity to celebrate Philos (brotherly love) as opposed to Eros (romantic, or sexual, love). So, in recent years, we have celebrated it, fairly quietly, and with that different emphasis - and particularly as our children have become more grown up - partly so they can see that there is a different way to the one espoused by 'the world'.
I consider myself very richly blessed, when it comes to good friends - I know so many lovely people! What a contrast to my early life! I'm not going to single anyone out, from the veritable church-full I am fortunate to count as friends, because I'm grateful for each and every one. As yet, this blog has't been 'publicised' widely, so the chances are, if you're reading this on Valentine's Day, 2013, you are one of those friends. All of you mean different things to me, on different levels, and all are special to me - as well as to God. I thank God for each one of you, the blessings you bring, and I pray that God would bless each of you richly in turn.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13