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Chaplains' Corner - Matters of Faith: Love even to the point of death
Posted 2/13/2013 Updated 2/13/2013
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Commentary by Chaplain (Capt.) Valentine Ugwuanya
59th Signal Battalion chaplain
2/13/2013 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Our God is a God of covenant, a God who loves and created us in His own image and likeness, a God who cherishes what He created and does not abandon his inheritance.
He is not a stern judge or an over-zealous policeman, rather He is a merciful and passionate God who will pursue us day after day, urging us to embrace Him and the covenant he has made with us.
If we want to experience his love, if we want to know the blessings of covenant, we need to pursue him as well.
If we also take confidence, our pursuit of him and his love will not be in vain.
Thursday we celebrated the feast day of St. Valentine, Christian bishop and martyr, patron of lovers and young people who are in love.
He was a man who was on fire with love, and spread this fire of God's love wherever he went.
He let nothing stop him, even in prison, or on his way to execution; he still encouraged every person to cherish and love each other.
Nothing discouraged him; he rejoiced in privation and earnestly sought one thing - to set the whole world on fire with love.
He wanted love in the hearts of all lovers, especially the youths and young couples - the fire of God's love.
This is the universal love of sweethearts by St. Valentine - not a romantic love but a sacrificial love of God.
This act of sacrificial love is seen in this story of two brothers.
One brother was a loving, gentle and caring brother and the other brother, the younger, was disobedient and a thief.
One day, the thief brother stole a goat and killed it, and the blood of the goat was on his clothes.
The law in that town stated anyone who stole woud be condemned to death.
The younger brother met his brother on the road and asked him to exchange their clothes; so the younger brother did.
The people whose goat was stolen found the elder brother with blood of the goat on his clothes.
He was arrested and condemned to death.
On his way to death, he caught sight of his younger brother, and said, "My brother, see, I'm going to death because of you, and what you did. Even though I'm dying because of you, I still love you as a brother and believe that one day you will change your evil ways and live."
God still believes in each and every one of us. This is sacrificial love, this is the spirit of St. Valentine, love, forgiveness and reconciliation, for all couples and youth. St. Valentine followed the example of his Lord Jesus who loves us and took our guilt upon himself.
Christians began the Lenten season with Ash Wednesday.
For Christians, Lent is a special season of focus, to ensure we are treading the right path, or, if we are not, to make the necessary adjustments while there is time.
It is an opportunity to reflect on the love of God for us and to show that we take this love seriously, as God takes it seriously.
Lent is a time to show we really believe, on the one hand, in the utter holiness of our God and, on the other hand, his endless mercy and compassion. |
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