February: Husbands, Wives, Romance
and God’s Deep Love of Creation

In the early years, Christians spoke of grace to folk in the Greek world. Some ex-pagans then discarded the statues of Greek/Roman gods. Paul tells the Thessalonians, “…everyone is spreading the story…how you turned from idols to be servants of the true and living God.” (I Thes. 1:9)

Well, February has Greek and Roman roots; they evolved with new traditions, between 300-500AD, as Christian asserted their faith-stories. Christian leaders changed traditional pagan Mid-February customs into a festival day honoring the saint Valentine. Out was the worship of Juno/Hera and Lupercus/Faunus?/Pan?/Romulus-and-Remus’-mother-wolf; out were the thongs¹ which splattered sacrificial blood (because of a superstition that such blood had an effect on sex,fertility and procreation). In was Valentine: in was remembering martyrs who loved Jesus; in was God’s ordinance of marriage²; in was the love of enemies³.

With 200 years of American religious freedom, pagan polytheism has not returned. We still turn to Christ. Like Valentine, we are devoted to Jesus. We also extol the love of enemies.

And we encourage Christian marriage. Devotion to your spouse is rooted in seeking Christ in them. With married folk, serving God (a 24/7 view of our treating God as THE God) begins in serving their life-long partner. Unless we love our spouse whom we have seen, how can we say we love the unseen God?⁴ Though my challenge began in jest⁵, I still would have St. Barnabas become a major witness to the romance between husbands and wives. I still encourage singles and widows to reject loneliness for a life of building close friendships.

Let’s build a loving Christian community with many Valentine-like saints. Let love abound.⁶ Send St. Valentine-cards. Give your whole life for Christ in sacrificial love.⁷

Yours in Christ,
David J. Mossbarger +

¹ In Latin the thongs are called “februa;” thus the name February. Not all traces of pagan life are gone! ² Valentine disobeyed Claudius II rule forbidding young men to marry so that they could serve as soldiers. ³ Valentine wrote kind notes to his jailer’s daughter and signed them “Your Valentine” ⁴I John 4:20
⁵ In recent times of American-French antagonism, I have quipped that Odessa could become the new City of Romance; after all, we have Eiffel Towers—we just call them oil derricks.
⁶ Philippians 1:9 ⁷John 15:13