Psalm 69:8-18 Jeremiah 26:12-15
Ephesians 3:1-7 Mark 16:15-20
As today is Valentine’s Day, my mind considers thoughts about love—not the
kind of love usually discussed today, but the kinds of love touched upon in the
four readings.
Jeremiah speaks of telling the truth to his neighbors even at the risk of death.
This is a selfless love.
The psalmist, as he is being ridiculed and punished for his zeal for God, calls
on God’s love to rescue him. This is a faithful love.
Paul, in Ephesians, speaks of God’s grace and how it is now shared with the
Gentiles. This is a generous love.
And Mark ends his Gospel, as Jesus is taken up to heaven, by recording that
His good news was proclaimed everywhere. This is a miraculous love.
These loves are all different (from each other and from the Hallmark version
we see today), but they all require fortitude and faithfulness. They require not
just an open heart but also an open mind. And they create a fuller, broader
life.
So today, and throughout the entirety of Lent, I pray that God may open our
minds and our hearts so that we may live fuller lives—and love as He loved
us.

–Chris Rogers