As we edge our way into the month of February, she brings with her the added joy of a festival that has been long celebrated...."Valentine's Day"......
Some will sigh from the mere mention of this festival...for the memory and the pain of past broken relationships still linger in the heart within, others mourn for the loss of their true love in life,...and yet many will have that sparkle arise within their eyes...in the hope of a new and long lasting relationship.
Valentine's Day...why do we have such an event?
Well, like many of our holiday celebrations today, it is a blend of the old and the new, legend and facts, and of course "a little pagan here and a little Christian there" kind of thing.
The origin of this event goes back a ways. Some give Valentine's Day its birth in the ancient days of the Roman Empire...when the god of Shepherds were a popular religion ( not all shepherds followed the God of Israel like the ones that came to Christ's birth). This Roman spring festival was known as "Lupercalia", and was celebrated yearly from February 13th through the 15th.
As in almost all of our holiday celebrations we celebrate today, the thing to remember is they originate from either an agricultural need (having good crops) or for fertility ( producing children). This was essential to both the economy and the future of any culture...and still holds true today.
Valentine's Day was originally a fertility type festival. Basically, it consisted of a bunch of young drunk guys who would run around town naked and whip young women with these " anointed leather straps by the shepherd god Lupercus"...which would cause women to : 1) become pregnant if they were barren or 2) guarantee a safe birthing when a newborn was to arrive.
OK??...That's original! lol
As far as this Valentine guy? Well, history states there were at least 2 guys by this name ( and actually more). The Roman Emperor Claudius II is credited to executing both "Valentines". Claudius II was often referred to as "Claudius the Cruel"...so that should tell you the kind of guy he was.
The one Valentine is written to have been a priest of the Roman Catholic church. Claudius had determined single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families...so...he simply outlawed marriage to young men (hmmm? How thoughtful...lol). Well, this Valentine felt that was wrong and married young lovers in secret...that is until he was caught...and Claudius the Cruel had him executed.
The other Valentine was said to help Christians escape the harsh Roman prisons where prisoners were often beat and tortured. In fact, legend has it Valentine fell in love with a jailer's daughter, and when he had been caught assisting Christians in their escape...he too was to be executed. This Valentine then wrote a final note to the love of his life...and signed it..."from your loving Valentine".
So Valentine's Day is a day that can bring sorrow to some...and yet a hope of long lasting love to the future.
I think Christ Jesus knows "what love is" ( as Forest Gump would say)...for in the book of Romans 5: 7-8 it reads like this: " Very rarely will anyone actually be willing to die...even for an upright person, an honest or sincere individual, though there are those who certainly have. Yet, God goes way beyond that...the Lord Jesus died for us...while we were yet sinners...cheaters, liars, and lacking good character. He died for us...anyway!"
Some will sigh from the mere mention of this festival...for the memory and the pain of past broken relationships still linger in the heart within, others mourn for the loss of their true love in life,...and yet many will have that sparkle arise within their eyes...in the hope of a new and long lasting relationship.
Valentine's Day...why do we have such an event?
Well, like many of our holiday celebrations today, it is a blend of the old and the new, legend and facts, and of course "a little pagan here and a little Christian there" kind of thing.
The origin of this event goes back a ways. Some give Valentine's Day its birth in the ancient days of the Roman Empire...when the god of Shepherds were a popular religion ( not all shepherds followed the God of Israel like the ones that came to Christ's birth). This Roman spring festival was known as "Lupercalia", and was celebrated yearly from February 13th through the 15th.
As in almost all of our holiday celebrations we celebrate today, the thing to remember is they originate from either an agricultural need (having good crops) or for fertility ( producing children). This was essential to both the economy and the future of any culture...and still holds true today.
Valentine's Day was originally a fertility type festival. Basically, it consisted of a bunch of young drunk guys who would run around town naked and whip young women with these " anointed leather straps by the shepherd god Lupercus"...which would cause women to : 1) become pregnant if they were barren or 2) guarantee a safe birthing when a newborn was to arrive.
OK??...That's original! lol
As far as this Valentine guy? Well, history states there were at least 2 guys by this name ( and actually more). The Roman Emperor Claudius II is credited to executing both "Valentines". Claudius II was often referred to as "Claudius the Cruel"...so that should tell you the kind of guy he was.
The one Valentine is written to have been a priest of the Roman Catholic church. Claudius had determined single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families...so...he simply outlawed marriage to young men (hmmm? How thoughtful...lol). Well, this Valentine felt that was wrong and married young lovers in secret...that is until he was caught...and Claudius the Cruel had him executed.
The other Valentine was said to help Christians escape the harsh Roman prisons where prisoners were often beat and tortured. In fact, legend has it Valentine fell in love with a jailer's daughter, and when he had been caught assisting Christians in their escape...he too was to be executed. This Valentine then wrote a final note to the love of his life...and signed it..."from your loving Valentine".
So Valentine's Day is a day that can bring sorrow to some...and yet a hope of long lasting love to the future.
I think Christ Jesus knows "what love is" ( as Forest Gump would say)...for in the book of Romans 5: 7-8 it reads like this: " Very rarely will anyone actually be willing to die...even for an upright person, an honest or sincere individual, though there are those who certainly have. Yet, God goes way beyond that...the Lord Jesus died for us...while we were yet sinners...cheaters, liars, and lacking good character. He died for us...anyway!"
No comments:
Post a Comment