February 14 – A Holiday and a Holy Day
As a highly unusual occurrence, the holy day of Ash Wednesday falls this year on February 14 – Valentine’s Day – the secular holiday celebrated, or at least recognized, by most everyone. This unusual pairing will go unnoticed by the many who do not observe Ash Wednesday and deem it spiritually significant. But for those who do, how shall we hold these two observances in some sort of balance? As the engine that largely drives our society today, the world of commerce certainly has its say. There is no lack of initiative in the marketing of goods and services for the celebration of holidays (some of which are actually holy days!).
On Ash Wednesday we recognize our sins and our need to move beyond them. In John 8 we read: “’Did no one condemn you?’ And she said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more’.” Ash Wednesday opens the season of Lent, a dedicated period of reflection and penitence which encourages us to assess where we are on our spiritual journey. It offers ample time for study and prayer, and the opportunity to focus on the healing of our minds so that we might more lovingly serve our gracious God, in whose very image we have been created.
The word “love” can have many shades of meaning, dependent on such things as time, circumstance, and personality. The world thinks there is one kind of love for this, and another kind for that, implying differences to suit the occasion or the desired effect. But in truth, there is no love but God’s; and can God’s love be less than all-encompassing? Can we change the eternal attributes of the Creator, ones shared by all that He created like unto Himself?
The decision to waken and be healed is a reflection of our will to love. Would we prefer not to heal a fragmented world ravaged by sin and our mistaken thoughts about ourselves and others? Jesus crossed out our sins and set us on the path that leads to ever higher levels of consciousness. As Jesus said, “Behold, the kingdom of Heaven is within you.” So let us thank him by following his lead and becoming bearers of God’s singular message of love and forgiveness. From 1 John 4: “God is love … if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.”
So on Valentine’s Day – or any other – let the small tokens of love presented to our dear ones be not so much representative of “special” love, but of the miraculous love of God which knows not of specialness and differences. Let us make our daily affirmation, simple yet profound: “God is love … therefore so am I.”
A meaningful and blessed Lent to all,
Doug Dykstra
As a highly unusual occurrence, the holy day of Ash Wednesday falls this year on February 14 – Valentine’s Day – the secular holiday celebrated, or at least recognized, by most everyone. This unusual pairing will go unnoticed by the many who do not observe Ash Wednesday and deem it spiritually significant. But for those who do, how shall we hold these two observances in some sort of balance? As the engine that largely drives our society today, the world of commerce certainly has its say. There is no lack of initiative in the marketing of goods and services for the celebration of holidays (some of which are actually holy days!).
On Ash Wednesday we recognize our sins and our need to move beyond them. In John 8 we read: “’Did no one condemn you?’ And she said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go your way; from now on sin no more’.” Ash Wednesday opens the season of Lent, a dedicated period of reflection and penitence which encourages us to assess where we are on our spiritual journey. It offers ample time for study and prayer, and the opportunity to focus on the healing of our minds so that we might more lovingly serve our gracious God, in whose very image we have been created.
The word “love” can have many shades of meaning, dependent on such things as time, circumstance, and personality. The world thinks there is one kind of love for this, and another kind for that, implying differences to suit the occasion or the desired effect. But in truth, there is no love but God’s; and can God’s love be less than all-encompassing? Can we change the eternal attributes of the Creator, ones shared by all that He created like unto Himself?
The decision to waken and be healed is a reflection of our will to love. Would we prefer not to heal a fragmented world ravaged by sin and our mistaken thoughts about ourselves and others? Jesus crossed out our sins and set us on the path that leads to ever higher levels of consciousness. As Jesus said, “Behold, the kingdom of Heaven is within you.” So let us thank him by following his lead and becoming bearers of God’s singular message of love and forgiveness. From 1 John 4: “God is love … if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.”
So on Valentine’s Day – or any other – let the small tokens of love presented to our dear ones be not so much representative of “special” love, but of the miraculous love of God which knows not of specialness and differences. Let us make our daily affirmation, simple yet profound: “God is love … therefore so am I.”
A meaningful and blessed Lent to all,
Doug Dykstra
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