For some reason, this seems to be one of the most hated holidays on the calendar, which is ironic because it is a holiday all about love. It is called Singles Awareness Day, and people rant and rave about how it's a corporate holiday that only exists to cause people to spend money. One of the biggest complaints that I hear is, "Why do I need a special day to show the one I love them that I love them. If you really love someone you should show them all the time, not just on one day, and you shouldn't need a day to show them."
Now I understand the sentiment behind that, but I disagree. Here's why. I completely agree that when you love someone you should not need a single day to express that love. You should be showing it everyday in your words, actions, interactions, gifts, sacrifices, etc..., but who says we can't have a day to celebrate that love? As Christians, we should constantly be aware of, and grateful for the death and resurrection of Christ. It is, after all, what bought us salvation, and yet we still have a day, Easter, on which we remember and celebrate that. The same holds true for Christmas. We have a single day that we celebrate Christ's birth and celebrate goodwill and joy and all of that, but that doesn't mean that that is the only day throughout the year that we think about it or that it is important. Again, Thanksgiving is not the only day we are to be grateful and humble, and we shouldn't only be patriotic on the 4th of July. All of these holidays serve as memorials, if you will, to these events/emotions/actions that are important to us every day. In the same way, Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate love, something that is vitally important to all of us in our every day lives.
Now I'm not trying to say there is no corporate/retail behind Valentine's Day. Of course there is, but there is behind Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Easter, 4th of July, New Years, St. Patricks Day, etc... If there is a way for people to make money they are going to do it, and giving gifts to the one you love is a valid way to express that love, hence, people spend a lot of money on this day. Is it necessary to spend money to purchase large gifts or chocolates or flowers or jewelry or stuffed bears or anything else? Of course not! You can show the one you love that you love them in plenty of ways w/o spending money. However, is there anything wrong with spending money to purchase gifts? Of course not! I personally, love to give gifts to people. I want to get gifts, lots of gifts, large gifts, small gifts, for my wife. I love getting her things that she wants/needs. It's one of the ways that I express my love. So I am all for buying gifts on Valentine's Day.
Now to the whole, Singles Awareness Day title, yes, Valentine's Day is primarily focused on romantic love, and that can tend to make those who do not have some form of romantic relationship feel singled out or depressed. However, at the heart of Valentine's Day, it is a day about love, in general, which encompasses both romantic and non-romantic love. St. Valentine, which the holiday is named after, was not some great romantic. I have, since I was a little kid, and still do, receive Valentines from my parents. Kids give Valentines to their classmates in school. I gave Valentines chocolates to the kids in my youth group. I am giving a Valentine gift to my daughter. Non of these are romantic relationships or gestures. They are, with the possible exception of classmates, expressions of love.
God has commanded us to love. 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, has this to say about love. "Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." In fact, love is arguably the most important theme in the Bible. Christ says that the greatest commandment is to "love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." and equally important is to "Love your neighbor as yourself." We are called to love, above all else. Christ died for us because He loves us. We are to love God, we are to love our friends/family, we are to love our wives/husband, we are to love our enemies. God established love. God is love. So on this day, Valentine's Day, let's celebrate love, whether that be romantic love or platonic love. Whether you celebrate with heart shaped chocolates or acts of service doesn't really matter, but rather than be cynical and hate this celebration of love, embrace it and show love to those around you, better yet, show God's love to those around you. Let the world know you by your love.
And that is why I LOVE Valentine's Day!
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