We live in a Planet filled with so much hate and strife. There is history of genocide caused by people as mad as hatters like Hitler and Pol Pot, bitterness flying like arrows during the hundred years war. Stories of bloodletting during maniacal events like the Spanish inquisition and the witch-hunt practise of the Zulus. Endless wars in Sudan and Angola Pakistan Rwanda
Suffice it to say that irrespective of my being an incurable romantic, I am not a Valentine day’s freak (sorry St Val). I think it is pretty comical that a world like ours suddenly goes nuts like starving squirrels released into a field of acorns over a particular day dedicated to the whimsical antics of Cupid. It is like watching the feeding frenzy of voracious sharks fighting for scraps of bloody flesh.
Beyond the nobility of the Valentine idea, this day is generally subjected to a lot of misuse and abuse. It is a day that a lot of guys put in the sickle to the blood red flowering blooms of hapless damsels that are not meant for them. A day that generates tension for those who don’t have enough to cause a splash and leaves the poison of envy within those who are like rejected islands, surrounded by the plenteous water of those who have too many gifts. This green eyed monster sometimes infects homes where a spouse feels her mate didn’t go beyond the whole nine yards. Ultimately the explosives of bickering and squabbles are set off and the fall out from these are felt for many days thereafter. Everything becomes covered in soot and smoke. Hearts are shattered, limbs are sometimes fractured and some relationships might be nursed in the intensive care before they are restored, while others pass on from there. This demise usually leads to hell.
Would you call this love? What will we say about a politician who spoils his mistress rotten with all manner of valentine treasures but in his constituency are hundreds of kids dying of malnutrition. His beau would most likely feel that he is Cupid’s twin but the truth is there is as much love in that relationship as water in the heart of a flaming effigy of Guy Fawkes. I would tell that lady to run. Such a man can’t love. He is the most selfish being alive.
It is flabbergasting how we work ourselves up into frothy seizures for one day of the year and the next day we are back to square one. In this environment, you see people lunging at each others throat like wired jungle cats. What’s the point of flying your partner to the Caribbean’s on a private jet, give her enough flowers to cause a world wide-plant-a flower-today panic, buy her enough chocolate to cause a one week shut down of Swiss factories, get enough wine to make grapes scarce in Bacchus’ garden and the next day you are back to your old ways. Fighting and brawling in a way that would make a gladiator seem like a pacifist.
The whole event is a repulsive parody which I believe even leaves a sour taste on the Saint’s mouth. I am sure the whole pantomime leaves the good man bedridden on his day after so much puking because if we are as loving as we claim to be on Val’s day, most of the wickedness associated with our world would have by now gone the way of the dodo.
I think the problem is, we have a lot of misconceptions about what love really is. Love is certainly not sex, saying it is would be like saying that the leave is the tree. The leave is an essential part but an off shoot of the tree. Romantic love is an off shoot of love. In the Greek, it is known as Eros and certainly leads to errors in our perception of love. If romantic love were real love, then a lot of the most romantic unions we know would not crash into the flames of hate and conflict which actually makes one think that love is war.
Real love is agape. It is sacrificial, not selfish and pure like water from an artesian spring. Love is not a perfunctory function, it is real. It originates from God. God is love!
Remember the Good Samaritan? He did not make the pages of the greatest book on earth because he gave away chocs and flowers (these things are great and there is nothing wrong with them) but by caring, by showing kindness, demonstrating affection and paying someone’s hospital bills while the thieves who waylaid the man would have gone to buy all manner of goodies for their paramour if it were the 14th of February. For the Samaritan, love wasn’t a one off thing or something reserved for special days but a way of life. He loved his neighbour as himself. He gave all to a stranger in dire need. He made someone he did not know his neighbour. Love was coming out of Mr. Samaritans pores for a dude he did not know from Adam. If we could all love like this man our Earth will be a better place for it.
Okay, St Valentine fans, kindly remove your boxing gloves and let me shoot straight with you. I am not trying to rain on the Saints parade or spoil your fun instead I want to make him more famous. A day’s celebration is not enough for him and the essence of his being. His way should become our culture. LOVE SHOULD BE CELEBRATED EVERY DAY WITH GENUINE KINDNESS AND CARE FOR EVERYONE!!! SELAH!!!
Suffice it to say that irrespective of my being an incurable romantic, I am not a Valentine day’s freak (sorry St Val). I think it is pretty comical that a world like ours suddenly goes nuts like starving squirrels released into a field of acorns over a particular day dedicated to the whimsical antics of Cupid. It is like watching the feeding frenzy of voracious sharks fighting for scraps of bloody flesh.
Beyond the nobility of the Valentine idea, this day is generally subjected to a lot of misuse and abuse. It is a day that a lot of guys put in the sickle to the blood red flowering blooms of hapless damsels that are not meant for them. A day that generates tension for those who don’t have enough to cause a splash and leaves the poison of envy within those who are like rejected islands, surrounded by the plenteous water of those who have too many gifts. This green eyed monster sometimes infects homes where a spouse feels her mate didn’t go beyond the whole nine yards. Ultimately the explosives of bickering and squabbles are set off and the fall out from these are felt for many days thereafter. Everything becomes covered in soot and smoke. Hearts are shattered, limbs are sometimes fractured and some relationships might be nursed in the intensive care before they are restored, while others pass on from there. This demise usually leads to hell.
Would you call this love? What will we say about a politician who spoils his mistress rotten with all manner of valentine treasures but in his constituency are hundreds of kids dying of malnutrition. His beau would most likely feel that he is Cupid’s twin but the truth is there is as much love in that relationship as water in the heart of a flaming effigy of Guy Fawkes. I would tell that lady to run. Such a man can’t love. He is the most selfish being alive.
It is flabbergasting how we work ourselves up into frothy seizures for one day of the year and the next day we are back to square one. In this environment, you see people lunging at each others throat like wired jungle cats. What’s the point of flying your partner to the Caribbean’s on a private jet, give her enough flowers to cause a world wide-plant-a flower-today panic, buy her enough chocolate to cause a one week shut down of Swiss factories, get enough wine to make grapes scarce in Bacchus’ garden and the next day you are back to your old ways. Fighting and brawling in a way that would make a gladiator seem like a pacifist.
The whole event is a repulsive parody which I believe even leaves a sour taste on the Saint’s mouth. I am sure the whole pantomime leaves the good man bedridden on his day after so much puking because if we are as loving as we claim to be on Val’s day, most of the wickedness associated with our world would have by now gone the way of the dodo.
I think the problem is, we have a lot of misconceptions about what love really is. Love is certainly not sex, saying it is would be like saying that the leave is the tree. The leave is an essential part but an off shoot of the tree. Romantic love is an off shoot of love. In the Greek, it is known as Eros and certainly leads to errors in our perception of love. If romantic love were real love, then a lot of the most romantic unions we know would not crash into the flames of hate and conflict which actually makes one think that love is war.
Real love is agape. It is sacrificial, not selfish and pure like water from an artesian spring. Love is not a perfunctory function, it is real. It originates from God. God is love!
Remember the Good Samaritan? He did not make the pages of the greatest book on earth because he gave away chocs and flowers (these things are great and there is nothing wrong with them) but by caring, by showing kindness, demonstrating affection and paying someone’s hospital bills while the thieves who waylaid the man would have gone to buy all manner of goodies for their paramour if it were the 14th of February. For the Samaritan, love wasn’t a one off thing or something reserved for special days but a way of life. He loved his neighbour as himself. He gave all to a stranger in dire need. He made someone he did not know his neighbour. Love was coming out of Mr. Samaritans pores for a dude he did not know from Adam. If we could all love like this man our Earth will be a better place for it.
Okay, St Valentine fans, kindly remove your boxing gloves and let me shoot straight with you. I am not trying to rain on the Saints parade or spoil your fun instead I want to make him more famous. A day’s celebration is not enough for him and the essence of his being. His way should become our culture. LOVE SHOULD BE CELEBRATED EVERY DAY WITH GENUINE KINDNESS AND CARE FOR EVERYONE!!! SELAH!!!
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