February 2026

It’s February, which means some of you might be making plans with your loved ones for Valentine’s Day. Or maybe you are someone who doesn’t like Valentine’s Day because it’s just too mushy and romantic for your taste. Either way, I’ll be enjoying the excuse to eat chocolate while some of you enjoy those chalky, yucky candy hearts (sorry if you like those…). As a kid, my favorite part of the holiday was decorating my very own little box and exchanging valentines with my classmates at school.

As I reflect on Valentine’s Day each year, I find myself asking the question, “What is love really about?” Sure, we can show love by giving gifts and spending time with our loved ones, but how can our love for others go even deeper? The theory of the original Saint Valentine from the 3rd century is that he was a martyr, killed for performing secret weddings for young Christians because he believed in the covenant of marriage as something ordained by God. The fact that this man would die for the sake of love is a pretty romantic idea. That is a radical kind of love.

But there is an even better, more radical story of a man who would die for the sake of love. Romans 5:6-8 says this: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

To me, that is love. Saint Valentine was noble for his pursuit of love and willingness to die. But the fact that Jesus died for everyone for all time because he loves everyone, even those the world might deem unworthy…THAT is a love worth celebrating!

Because of Christ’s love for me, I am challenged with the responsibility to love others well, not just on Valentine’s Day but every day. My prayer for myself and for you this month is that God would help you to love well, especially those you may struggle to love, remembering that Jesus died for you.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Val