Pastoral Ponderings
“February – The Double L Month”
February, while the shortest month, is still very important. Two of the events that happen this month that makes it important are symbolized by the letter ‘L’. The first is Valentine’s Day which reminds us of love.
Love is one of those words in English that can have a wide variety of meanings. We use it to express everything from a craving for ice cream, “I love chocolate,” to our support for a favorite sports team, “I love the Redskins,” to our feeling for our spouse, “I love you,” to our relationship with God, “I love the Lord.” Unfortunately a lot of the times we never note the difference between our love for ice cream and our love for Jesus.
This is not true in Greek, the language of the New Testament. There are three words that are translated as love, yet they each have different meanings. The first is eros which means a physical type of love. We get our word erotic from this root. Next there is phileo which means kindly affection or brotherly love, Philadelphia being the “City of Brotherly Love.” Then there is agape of a self-sacrificing, God-like love.
It is because of this agape love that the second L word comes into being. February usually marks the beginning of Lent. The season of Lent is forty days, not counting Sundays, before Easter. Lent is a time when we prepare ourselves to remember that Easter is all about love. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” [John 3:16 K.J.V.] And again: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” [John 15:13 K.J.V.] So you see, Lent and love do go hand in hand, making February the ‘Double L” month.
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday (Feb. 10th this year), which marks a time of repentance and traditionally many people choose to give up something they love as a way of remembering the sacrifice Jesus made. I encourage you to do so.
However, I also challenge you to do more. Rather than just giving up something, why not let your love shine this Lent by doing something positive. Visit more, pray more, study the Bible more, volunteer your time in service to others more than you have been doing. Then, when you say “I love Jesus”, it will really mean something.
-Richard
