Valentine’s Day traditions vary from person to person. Having grown up in Baptist churches, memories of Valentine’s Day are of tables in fellowship halls decorated with red and pink hearts and streamers. Boys dressed up in suits seated next to a girl in a formal setting for the very first time. Likewise, girls in fancy dresses were seated next to boys for perhaps the first time.
Although chaperoned, and certainly not of the age to date, in their minds it felt like their first real date. Emotions run high – anxiety, nervousness, awkwardness and perhaps even an “I really, really like you” feeling for the person sitting next to them. Feelings of love may still be foreign to them at this age. When one matures as they grow older, these “deep like” feelings eventually turn to love; sometimes, a deep love. At this stage, emotions aren’t easy to hide and others can tell when a couple shows love to each other.
As we all know, human emotions, with all their ups and downs, can be like riding a roller coaster. Some people keep them inside; others wear them on their sleeves.
In a small group discussion at church, someone asked if God was emotional or even had emotions. Scripture clearly teaches us that God is a jealous God and slow to anger. Scripture also teaches us that God loves and shows us justice. So, it stands to reason that God does have emotions and we do see evidence of them.
In one of the closing scenes from the Mel Gibson directed and produced, “The Passion of the Christ”, there’s a camera shot of the crucifixion giving us an overhead view of what is taking place down below. The scene then transforms into a blur and you realize it’s a drop of water that eventually splashes to earth at the foot of the cross where Jesus hangs. The symbolism of God shedding a tear for having to send his Son to earth to suffer such a painful and humiliating death for our Salvation is unmistakable.
Around Valentine’s Day each year we all profess to have a deep love for our spouse, children, family and friends. God’s love for us is much deeper. It was shown on the cross. How deep is your love for Him?
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