The legend of St. Valentine purports that in the face of great opposition he performed Christian marriages against the edicts of the rulers of the time.
He refused to deny his faith in Jesus Christ and was eventually martyred on February 14.
I don’t know how much of the story is true, but I love the idea of it.
His service to believers-allowing them to be united as couples within the framework of their faith-was more important to him than his own life.
Love built on the foundation of Jesus Christ was worth anything.
Most things in our world are becoming more casual.
Not always a bad thing, but worth thinking about when it comes to relationships, faith and focus.
By definition, ‘casual’ is a lack of commitment, loyalty and seriousness. It implies a surface level understanding of and investment in anything.
So to pair it before any type of relational subject (casual friend, faith, etc.) is really a contradiction of what a relationship really is.
‘Casual’ does not connect in truth, and is largely self-serving in nature, and therefore, does not build any type of relationship at all.
And I would argue that love cannot be casual and actually be love.
If we love, we commit.
We invest.
We know.
We sustain.
Love (and faith) is covenantal by nature.
Our perfect example of love (and faith), Jesus Christ, showed us exactly what it means to love by what He did.
Love sacrifices anything for the good of the other.
Love puts aside self to fulfill what is best for the relationship, relentlessly pursues, and emotionally invests.
Casual sounds easier.
But casual does not have the power that covenant love or faith has.
No power to know intimately.
No power to form deep, lasting, supportive connections.
No power to grow transformative trust.
No power to stay in all times and to last through all things.
In short, no power at all when it comes to love or faith.
If we love Him like He loves us, there can be nothing casual about it.
Imperfectly, but with purpose, we attempt to give our full desires, hearts and lives to the faith and love that will steadily change us, making us more like Him, and allowing us to learn what life full of the power of love and faith really is.
A love and faith that are worth any cost, because they can give what nothing casual ever can.
