{"id":9416,"date":"2015-02-14T07:54:19","date_gmt":"2015-02-14T12:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/?p=9416"},"modified":"2015-02-14T10:15:33","modified_gmt":"2015-02-14T15:15:33","slug":"and-a-lovely-valentines-day-to-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/monkeymind\/2015\/02\/and-a-lovely-valentines-day-to-all.html","title":{"rendered":"And a Lovely Valentine’s Day to All!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"valentine\"<\/a>
\nBeyond the conspiracies of the greeting card, chocolate, and flower cartels to squeeze every last possible dollar out of the public, Valentine\u2019s Day is our culture\u2019s great celebration of romantic love. <\/p>\n

There are various myths associated with the origins of Valentine\u2019s day. I gather pretty much all of them are bogus, at least so far as history is concerned. I guess that\u2019s romantic love for you. A fascinating mixture of deception and hope and, well, something else.<\/p>\n

The true in this is that as we turn our hearts to others, and really it doesn\u2019t have to be another person although that is particularly lovely when it happens, by that reaching out, simply by that reaching out somehow the best of our humanity is revealed.<\/p>\n

And when it is love with a person.<\/p>\n

How wonderful!<\/p>\n

I have to tip my hat to the Episcopal church, for once again making a feast for something true even when the history of the matter is past suspicious\u2026<\/p>\n

This is something well worth a celebration.<\/p>\n

A feast.<\/p>\n

Maybe even calls for some chocolate\u2026<\/p>\n