The month of February, distinguished primarily for its brevity, holds far more significance with its inclusion of Valentine’s Day, a national day dedicated indiscriminately to love and lovers. Put into couples perspective, it could be depressing for many. But put into proper perspective it is the spiritual glue that solidifies the world!
“God so loved the world…” as unlovable as it has historically been and appears to be continuously drifting-–through man and nature.
For me February began to take on added dimension with the death of my mother in 1973 followed by her oldest sister in 1977 who was living with us at the time; by my husband in 1983 (the same summer the City of Roanoke bulldozed The Tribune building on Henry Street (with NO warning of any kind); and the passing of my favorite first cousin in DC in 2003 who was the pivotal point around which the entire family revolved. It has been the continuous Love of God by which I am constantly surrounded and assisted that has brought me through many Februarys without the pain of the past. I can now find more consolation than frustration and alienation in trying to love and be loved by people, having had no experience or immediate models to go by through childhood.
Through the Baha’i Holy Writings I have discovered that, like inanimate receptacles, love has different capacities. Some people have thimble capacities and some a gallon measure, once “the pith of self hath been blown,” allowing God’s love to come through! To attempt to put torrents of love into any container of smaller size would prove most frustrating and meaningless. Therefore understanding and respecting the different capacities, while developing one’s own capacity to fullest extent, is crucial. Our lives will become greatly enriched once we realize that love is not something we fall in or out of based upon youth, physical appearance or “The way you make me feel” as Michael Jackson sang it. True love is of God and mandates the acquisition of virtues that reflect His love in our lives.
“Anything we can do which enables us to love more and to know more will be consistent with our purpose if we dedicate that love and knowledge to the service of mankind, the highest station to which we can attain,” we are admonished through the Baha’i Holy Writings.
From this year forth may we approach Valentine’s Day, as well as those in between, with new perspective, impetus and determination to become “a sign of love, a center of love, a sum of love, creating a world of love!
“Ah me, hast thou love? Then thy power is irresistible!” (Investigate! 1-800-22-UNITE)
