Celebrate love not just on Valentine’s Day
Published:Sunday | February 14, 2021 | 12:07 AMTamara Bailey - Sunday Gleaner writer
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 NIV
It is a day many eagerly await to be showered with gifts and swept away with romantic tactics by the one they love.
It is also a day that leaves many disappointed, when tangible signs of what they consider to be love are not evident or persons have no one to share the day with.
But while the fanfare of Valentine’s Day has built and broken many relationships, pastor of the Mount Pleasant Church of Christ and marriage officer, Clyde Bogle, said celebrating love every day is what should be held in the highest regard.
“Love ought to be celebrated, and as Christians, we should be different by celebrating love in the proper context,” he advised.
Bogle said couples should not wait until February 14 to share and celebrate love as if it is a task that is ticked off the list post-Valentine’s Day.
“I don’t wait until Christmas Day to eat a special meal, because every day is special for me, and it should be the same with Valentine’s Day. Couples must express love and commitment daily, right throughout the year.”
The pastor said Valentine’s Day celebrations have now become a routine gift-giving exercise for some couples, and the effort necessary to nurture the love is lost.
“Many persons focus too much on the materialistic side of Valentine’s Day. The gift is a big part of it, and if you can’t give some persons the big gifts, then there is a problem, and for others, after the gift is given, the love is over.”
A pastor for the past 15 years and marriage officer for the past 10 years, Bogle said he has officiated over 240 weddings and counselled couples too numerous to mention.
He said one thing that stands out for him is the flawed beliefs of what love truly is.
“The divorce rate is high and in some instances the remarry rate is also high, but a lot of couples have not engaged in counselling, and that is something I highly recommend. Some persons did not grow up seeing stable relationships and so they come and end up going through a divorce because love is not nurtured.”
Bogle added: “It comes back to socialisation. I tell people even in my community who are not Christians or even married, that they should allow their children to see one man or one woman coming into the home. For two years some children have four stepfathers or stepmothers, and they are not seeing the lifestyle of commitment. It then becomes hard for them to do any different when they have their own relationships.”
Bogle said once there is an understanding of the word ‘love’ and acknowledgement that it should be celebrated all year round, more relationships will be saved.
“It’s about communication, commitment and a willingness to work with your partner through thick and thin. We should celebrate the love of God. When you get couples to embrace Corinthians 13, then we will have better marriages, better relationships and true celebrations of love, not just on V-Day.”