Dear JYs We had some real amazing mails out here on Valentines Day. Infact as the name would suggest Valentine's day is named after St. Valentine. So a Christian Feast. No wonder Mr. Bal Thackerey in Mumbai doesnt want us to celebrate Valentine's day. ;)
I remember last year i had posted a mail on Joynet where I had pointed out how VD - Valentine Day had simply become CLD - Commercial Love Day. This year a friend - a Loner - was telling me. "I hope Cupid works over time, I got to find a guy by Valentine's day." I was like. "Cupid" what hes gotta do with that. She was like... nooo. u dont know Cupid. His arrows... blah blah. Phew.... ever since I heard of Valentine's day the next person who i heard of was Cupid. Good Grief. Some say he is an Angel. I never read of Angel Cupid in the Bible so where did this guy turn up. I took my bible cd and came up with 4 angels + 1 ex-angel. But Cupid. I was perplexed. So I asked my wise chacha. This Cupid who re. and what he is gotta do with St. Valentine. Y do people commemorate Valentine Day by praying to this Cupid Guy as well. Is he some love agent as people tell me he is. My wise chacha could only tell me : Cupid was the Roman God of Love, son of Venus and Mercury; and in Greek mythology he was Eros (Lust), son of Aphrodite and Hermes. Good Grief. I was dealing with Mythology. I decided to prod further and I came to know this. Cupid took as his wife the beautiful MORTAL maiden Psyche [so cupid was immortal as he was god] who he was supposed to kill...on the condition that he would join her only at night so she never saw his face. Their dark nights together were full of love and passion [immortal + mortal ????]; though Psyche had a fear that her loving husband might also be an ugly monster! At the urging of her sisters (and her own fears) she hid a knife and candle by their bed one evening before he came. After Cupid fell asleep Psyche silently stole out of bed and lit the candle. As she held the light up to his face she saw not an evil ugly beast... but a most handsome young man with wings! In her surprise she spilled some candle wax on his sleeping face. The hot wax woke Cupid, and he flew away as he cried, "O foolish Psyche! Is it thus you repay my love? But go; return to your sisters whose advice you seem to think preferable to mine! I inflict no punishment on you other than to leave you forever." Whoa what a heart breaking story. Later it seems she made up, Psyche and Cupid Got married and ultimately Psyche was made a Goddess. so there is a happy ending. Woof.. Greek Mythology ... as though the mythology in my own country is not driving me mad, now we are attaching Greek Mythology to this Christian Saint Day. Is there a competition ??? i wonder. Mythology further goes to state that "Psyche" is a Greek word for "Soul". Wow so the wise greeks actually tried to make together a story about the love and soul entwining together. Guys, do we need such myths to teach us about love and what it means to the soul. We live in such a world where people are searching for love. People are waiting for imaginary arrows from Cupid to strike them. Many of us have placed faith on Mr. Cupid and his "lovely" arrows to bring us love. What difference does this make me from my fellow bretheren who know not what i follow. We Christian are so blessed that we have been given a wonderful example and expression of love which is truth itself. Jesus on the Cross crying out in dying words. "Father Forgive them for they do not know what they have done." The Creater becoming a Created and then going to the extent of dying for his Creation so as to save their souls. What more example of Love do we need in relation to our souls. I know many of us have learnt this verse by heart - John 3 : 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Eternal life.. where... no where but in him. We try to fathom with our hearts , our heads and if that is not enough we apply our body as well. Today we are so burdened with sorrows, rejections, pains that we forget our Lord calling out to us ... offering continuously his love. [Mathew 11:28 - COME unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest]. So important is that COMING to the Lord and receiving his love in return. Dont waste time on Cupid Stupid... hehe. Dont worry he is not cannonized so he is not gonna interceed ur prayers. Infact he may seek ur prayers ... he already got burnt with Wax. With a wife like that god knows what she may drop next on him ;) Ill end with another common sentence which has touched many of us and still does whenever we read it: "How much do you love me?" I asked Jesus and Jesus said, "This much...." then he stretched out his arms and died" urs in faith Jason Mumbai, India =============================================================================== This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. 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