The Greatest Commandment

Love and romance. It’s an obsession, both for women and for men, and throughout human history it has been the inspiration for songs, poems, and acts of kindness. It seems appropriate to set aside one day a year to focus on love.

History tells us the first official day celebrating love and romance took place in 496 AD when Pope Gelasius declared that February 14 would become “Valentine’s Day.” Who was this “Valentine”? No one is quite sure. Many think he was a Christian who was martyred by Emperor Claudius II in the 3rd century AD.

In pagan Rome, a festival was held every February 15 to honor the Roman god Lupercus. It was a day filled with fertility rites and other revelry. After Christianity became Rome’s official religion, the Church wanted to retain the spirit of love and celebration that was part of that festival, but they sought to replace the pagan traditions with Christian symbols and attributes. The day was renamed and moved one day earlier, to February 14.

For a Christian, this is a day to remember not just romance, but the greatest love of all: the love God showed when He sent Jesus to die for us. We can also remember the power of God’s love to unite couples in marriage, build lasting friendships, and create bonds of commitment that strengthen the Body of Christ. In contrast with frail human love, God offers us a supernatural love that “never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).

Today, remember that God is the true source of love. Our love is possible only “because God first loved us” (John 4:19). We owe everything to Him. Give Him your heart today.