Valentine’s Day is upon us again and the all too familiar phrase, “Will you be my valentine?” is plastered on an unending sea of cards. As men and women, boys and girls, advance to the counters of superstores, card shops, florists and jewelers to answer this simple call in classrooms and relationships, we must stop and consider where it came from.

In A.D. 496, Pope Gelasius in Rome marked Feb.

14 as a day of celebration and remembrance in honor of a priest martyred some 226 years earlier. Under the reign of Emperor Claudius II, Father Valentinus was beaten and beheaded for bringing aid to and caring for those being persecuted in a Roman prison for their faith. He was killed for selflessly living out his faith in Christ Jesus, otherwise known as loving his neighbor.

Also in the middle of February in many Roman states, a common observance celebrating the natural attraction between male and female was well underway. This would often lead to the exchange of gifts and tokens of fondness between the sexes. Looking back, many from today would call this “love.”

The old European cultures would see a melding of the two celebrations and we today still see the mix as we observe Feb. 14. ButI can’t help pondering the question of what it means to ask, “Will you be my valentine?”

Do the plumpy hearts and candy we dish out convey love? If so, in what sense?

John 3:16 says: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish but have eternal life.”

If this is a definition of love we would use, one that actively gives of self, even to death on a cross for you, then maybe being a valentine would be more than romantic attraction and more about sacrifice and giving of self for the other.

Then again, maybe in our romantic attractions, especially between husbands and wives, boys and girls, we could use a bit more of this type of love. Who knows, maybe this year we could have some true “Valentines.”

Happy Valentine’s!

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Church, Pages 2 on 02/16/2011