Who Is Valentine, Anyway?

Mark 12:15 Shall we give, or shall we not

give?" But he, knowing their hypocrisy,

said to them, "Why do you test me? Bring me

a denarius, that I may see it."

16 They brought it. He said to them, "Whose

is this image and inscription?" They said

to him, "Caesar`s."

17 Jesus answered them, "Render to Caesar

the things that are Caesar`s, and to G-d

the things that are G-d`s." They marveled

greatly at him.


The holiday is named after two among the
numerous Early Christian martyrs named
Valentine. The day became associated with
romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey
Chaucer in High Middle Ages, when the
tradition of courtly love flourished.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine's_Day

The name "Valentine", derived from valens
(worthy), was popular in late antiquity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Valentine


Maybe it's because I grew up near the city,
but whenever Valentine's Day comes around I
think of the Valentine's Day Massacre. It
strikes me as the zenith of the cynical
secular recognition of this holiday.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Valentine's_Day_Massacre


It's hard to not notice how things get
turned around, in the course of time.
Today is an example of how the passage of
time distorts the interpretation of events
from the past. Saint Valentine's Day, was
originally a day to recognize one of the
early christian martyrs. It has almost
completely morphed into a day represented
by the symbolic cupid figure, itself a
derivation of greek myth. Oh, how we love
myth and legend, and wander so far from the
truth. Some like to call it evolution.


The way I see it, there is an element of
our psychology that has a need to arouse
warm, fuzzy feelings about the past and the
present, that is at odds with the cold,
stark reality of fact. We prefer fiction
to fact. It's exactly that same challenge
that is faced every time that we look into
scripture, the record of Divine revelation.
There is a warm, fuzzy, distorted fictional
interpretation and there is a factual
interpretation. I think that the conflict
lies not in the facts of scripture, but in
the corruption of the human heart and soul.
We prefer to see events in a way that gives
a boost to our ego and esteem, rather than
seeing the error of our ways. Seeing the
error will bring us to the point where we
have to admit our need for change, and
change is uncomfortable. Just ask your
kids, they'll tell you.


Look at the way that Valentine's Day has
been remodeled, and you can see that the
reversion to ancient myth shows that basic
human nature has not evolved at all in over
three thousand years. We still prefer
mythology, because it panders to our base
instincts. Somewhere in the mix, it is
apparent even with all the efforts to
improve and modernize the rhetoric, that
the basic instinct of government is to tax
and spend. Jesus' response to this is not
complicated. Over and over again, the
scripture directs us to respect authority,
both civil and religious.


Acts 23:5 Paul said, "I didn`t know,

brothers, that he was high priest. For it

is written, `You shall not speak evil of a

ruler of your people.`"
--->
Ro 13:2 Therefore he who resists the

authority, withstands the ordinance of God;

and those who withstand will receive to

themselves judgment.

3 For rulers are not a terror to the good

work, but to the evil. Do you desire to

have no fear of the authority? Do that

which is good, and you will have praise

from the same,

4 for he is a servant of G-d to you for

good. But if you do that which is evil, be

afraid, for he doesn`t bear the sword in

vain; for he is a minister of G-d, an

avenger for wrath to him who does evil.

5 Therefore you need to be in subjection,

not only because of the wrath, but also for

conscience` sake.

6 For this reason you also pay taxes, for

they are ministers of G-d`s service,

attending continually on this very thing.

7 Give therefore to everyone what you owe:

taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to

whom customs; respect to whom respect;

honor to whom honor.
--->
Luke 3:12 Tax collectors also came to be

baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher,

what must we do?"

13 He said to them, "Extort no more than

that which is appointed you."

14 Soldiers also asked him, saying, "What

about us? What must we do?" He said to

them, "Extort from no one by violence,

neither accuse anyone wrongfully. Be

content with your wages."


Again, the nature of man has not changed
much over time. There is in scripture a
model for social organization at various
levels, but it has been largely rejected in
the overwhelming preference for mythology.
Today just happens to be one of the more
obvious manifestations of that preference.
Don't be fooled. Nothing's changed. Truth
is still true. Jesus is still Lord. That
should make everyone on the Jesus Bus feel
warmer and fuzzier than a pink cupid. In
any case, today makes for a good excuse to
indulge the chocolate habit, while we're
thinking things over.