A Late Valentine

I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day. I remember what Valentine's Day used to be like. Valentine's Day used to be this exciting event. When I was inn elementary school everyone would get a brown paper bag and decorate it. I remember when I was in 4th grade and I work so hard to make my bag look awesome. Our teacher pulled out all of the stops. We had pipe cleaners, construction paper, glitter pens, hot glue and so much more.

That year I made two hearts out of construction paper, one pink and one red. I glued the pink heart, which was slightly smaller, in the center of the red heart and then I glued the red heart to my paper bag. I cut out a square of brown construction paper and glued a few inches under the heart. I then proceeded to connect the hearts to the square with a set of pipe cleaners. The end result was a hot air balloon in the shape of a heart. When I was completely finished I taped my bag to the chalk tray on our blackboard and imagined what kind of valentine cards I might get the following day.

I'm not in 4th grade anymore, I may act like I am, but I've since made my way up through the ranks of our educational systems. My friends and I don't make Valentine's bags anymore and the older I get the more I come to understand that not everyone has a valentine. Some people are alone and some people go to extreme measure. They buy teddy bears that hold little pillows that are embroidered with pet names or phrases. They make dinners and light candles. They spring for a nice piece of jewelry. Or maybe they settle for nice portion of chocolate.

With that being said, I think that God is constantly telling us that life is not about gifts. It's not about chocolate or stuffed animals. Okay, maybe it has a little to do with chocolate. Even so, I think Valentine's Day is a reminder that God never intended for us to be alone. Isn't that what church is all about?

God never intended for us to be alone. Eccelesia is the Greek word for church. When you look up the definition you'll find that it has many meanings. The one that I like refers to church as a body of believers. The word body often refers to a collective group. And the word group points to a given number of people who are related in some form or fashion.

We are supposed to be together with one another and Valentine's Day should amplify the meaning of church even more. In the Book of Genesis God saw that there was not a suitable helper for Adam. So, God gave him Eve. In Exodus God gave Moses a companion in Aaron and they both proceeded to help lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt. Finally, Jesus reminds us that "where two or more are gathered that He is also in the midst."

I hope you are reminded that there is not a season to celebrate companionship. But instead, that God has called us to live in love and community with one another for our entire lives.