Written by guest blogger, Jody Stinson
With Valentine’s Day just a week away, people are left to puzzle out how a martyred Christian from ancient Rome inspired a day filled with boxes of chocolates, flowers, and jewelry.
As with many traditions, the truth lies somewhere in a haze of legend and reality.
According to many stories, St. Valentine was a persecuted Christian who helped his fellow suffering believers. He was arrested and taken to stand before the Roman Emperor. The Emperor urged Valentine to convert to paganism to save his life. Valentine refused and shared the Gospel with the Emperor.
Valentine was then sentenced to death and taken to jail. There, legend has it, he healed Julia, the blind daughter of his jailer. She and forty-six members of her household came to faith in Christ and were baptized.
One legend states that Valentine wrote Julia a letter the night before his execution and signed it “Your Valentine.” After his death, Julia planted an almond tree on his grave.
In another embellishment to the legend, Valentine performed marriages for Christian soldiers in the Roman army. Although these soldiers were urged by their commanding officers to take advantage of captured women, Valentine presented parchment hearts to the men to remind of their wedding vows and God’s love. Valentine also gave these hearts to persecuted Christians.
I don’t pretend to have any definitive opinion on if these legends are truth, fiction, or some mixture of the two. What I do know is that — true or not — Valentine can serve as an example of a godly man who stood before an Emperor and shared his faith. He led a woman and her household to Christ, and created paper hearts to point people to God’s love.
So while we celebrate the holiday that bears his name with chocolate and cards, we can also be inspired by his faith.
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” I John 4:7-8 (KJV)
Bio: Jody Stinson believes every story deserves a happy ending—even if she has to write one herself. After an international upbringing, she continues to travel whenever she can. Her goal is to take her readers somewhere new, make them smile, and give them hope through Christ. She currently writes freelance including articles, commercials, and even a client’s wedding toast.
Check out the original post, and Jody’s other writings, on her blog @ https://jodystinson.wordpress.com/.
