Valentine’s Day in the light of Christian admonishment on Love – by Oscar E V Fernando
Valentine’s Day-VD-originated as a Christian feast of the early Church but later this was coined by folk traditions and now remains a cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world-especially of the Christian tradition. So is the meaning of VD described loosely on Google.
It is the writer’s opinion that over the long span of years of Christianity, some adherents have continued to believe in the original teachings of creation and love namely-that a human being was created in the image and likeness of the Creator and that the Creator is the very essence of Love-and some have swayed away from these traditional and Faith Filled beliefs mainly in the Creator and that of VD itself and society finds itself turmoiled in thought-word and deed!
We must also reconcile ourselves to the fact that changes in our thoughts and conclusions occur whether we like it or not; a dictum promulgated by one scientist with shouts of Eureka is demolished by another with his own dictum and a repeated shout of Eureka. Once a mournful statement-not to cry for the moon was followed by our stepping on the moon and this repetitive aspect will go on and on as long as any organization is controlled by imperfect human beings as admonished by ancient teachings.
So it is that the concept of VD originating in a Christian country bearing a historical cum legendary beginning-not to be daubed with a statement of Eureka!
VD is tinged with the concept of Love-be it carnal or otherwise-carnal only to believers in a body with no spiritual soul; in either case we see the commercial world making hay while the sun shines-with cakes chock alates dances -and hotel bookings-some of which are bordering on the vulgar to say the least-which some religious sects capitalize to ridiculing its very beginnings!
Love is the most natural phenomenon in world and around which poets have been eloquent and sculptures designed-take the case of the Isurumuniya sculpture of Sri Lanka where we see and hear of love making of a couple in a close embrace-with the female with her upper case of the body exposed-this scene is neither vulgar nor scandalous as depicted in some of our TV shows desecrating VD to arouse religious sentiments.
The song Isurumuniya with lyrics and music accompanies this piece.
VD we see is celebrated universally-both by carnal and soulful lovers-however we must not fail to detect and be lost with the greedy commercial gimmicks circulating around-fishing in troubled waters.
Oscar E V Fernando
February 2022
