“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. ¹³ “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵ No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:10-16

“Not only is it the best-loved book, but it is also the most-hated book. No other book has had so many nor such bitter enemies. I suppose more books have been written against the Bible than against all other books combined. Men do not hate Shakespeare nor Milton nor Longfellow; they do not hate works on science nor philosophy; they do not hate books of travel or adventure or fiction; they do not hate the other sacred books of the world; they hate only the Bible. Why this hatred? It can be only because they find in the Bible something that they find nowhere else. What they find there is a true picture of themselves, and the picture is not pleasant to look upon, so they turn away their faces and will have nothing to do with it except to vilify and condemn it. They deliberately misrepresent it and write falsehoods about it; they satirize and ridicule it, using all sorts of weapons and all sorts of methods to combat it, and for only the one reason—that its truth pricks them in their consciences and they can by no other means escape from it.

It is judged by a standard far more stringent than any other book, not excepting the other sacred books. No critic would think of treating any other book as he treats the Bible, nor of requiring of any other book what he requires of the Bible. The more men hate God, the more they hate his Word; and this has a deep, underlying reason, and that reason, I believe, is that the Bible is God’s book and that in it there is so much of God himself.” (C.W. Naylor, “Heart Talks”, p. 28-29)

 Many people who call themselves “Humanists” reject the claim that the Bible is the word of G-d. They are convinced the book was written solely by humans in a superstitious and “unenlightened” time. They believe that because the writers of the Bible lived in an unenlightened era, the book contains many errors and harmful teachings. And, there are parts of the bible many might find to be offensive, outdated, if not prejudiced and misogynistic. But, as a person who spends a lot of his life writing about and reading the scriptures, we also see the bible not as a static piece of writing that can only be interpreted in one manner, form, or design. In other words, we see the bible as the “living, active Word of G-d”. And by living and active, I mean as a book that speaks to us throughout time, not just within one span of time.

Yes, you can find enough reasons to hate the Bible, but you cannot say that the Bible is outdated, or unenlightened, or static. No matter what is happening in the world, I can turn to the scriptures and find many passages that will give wisdom, guidance, and hope to face the multifaceted happenings and concerns of this world, this community, and my life.

Pastor Dave

On this day, February 14, 269 a young man named Valentine was executed in Rome for his faith (maybe).  If he was in fact executed on this day in February, it was the day before the pagan festival to the goddess Februata Juno – a ritual that involved sexual promiscuity between boys and girls.  So the question we must consider for this holiday we celebrate called Valentine’s Day is: was the legend of Valentine modified to replace the pagan holiday?  Probably.  The church has done this before.   The truth is that there may have been two or three martyrs named Valentine who died in different parts of the Roman Empire at around this time.  Here are some examples:

“…the Roman Valentine… A city gate on the Flaminian Way and a chapel near it were named for him. Several ancient Christian writers mention his name. There is no doubt he lived and was tortured before being beaten with clubs and beheaded. And yet we have no sure account of why.  Some say this Valentine was a young man with a tender heart who aided Christians who were undergoing martyrdom. He was not even a Christian at the time. Arrested for his activities, he converted to faith while in prison and would not renounce it. Knowing he was going to die, he wrote letters to his friends saying “Remember your Valentine.”  Another legend says that the Roman Valentine was a priest who defied the Emperor Claudius’s temporary order and secretly married couples so the husbands wouldn’t have to go to war. Claudius desperately needed more soldiers and did not appreciate this interference.  A third legend says the Roman Valentine was a priest who refused to sacrifice to pagan gods. Imprisoned for this, he gave testimony in prison and through his prayers the jailer’s daughter was healed. On the day of his execution he left her a note signed “Your Valentine.” (Christianity.com website, Martyrdom of St. Valentine, Dan Graves)

During the middle ages it was a popular belief that birds paired up in mid-February.  This may also be a reason that romantic love was associated with Valentine’s name. Whatever the truth behind the legends, St. Valentine’s Day has become a day we connect with romance and friendship.  Here is a poem by E. E. Cummings for you to consider and ponder on this Valentine’s Day.  It is titled love is more thicker than forget:

love is more thicker than forget — more thinner than recall

more seldom than a wave is wet — more frequent than to fail

it is most mad and moonly — and less it shall unbe

than all the sea which only — is deeper than the sea

love is less always than to win — less never than alive

less bigger than the least begin — less littler than forgive

it is most sane and sunly — and more it cannot die

than all the sky which only — is higher than the sky

Pastor Dave