Faith
By Judge John Marshall Meisburg, Jr., 2-14-24
Wednesday, February 14th is Valentines Day. This is the day that people all over the world celebrate LOVE.
But how many know the real story about the origin of Valentines Day? Saint Valentine was a Christian priest who lived in Rome in 270 A.D. He would officiate at weddings for Roman soldiers in secret, going against the wishes of the emperor. King Claudius actually issued an order forbidding men from getting married because he needed them as soldiers. But Valentine married them anyway. He was thrown in prison for violating the anti-marriage law. During his time in prison, he fell in love with the daughter of a prison guard and she fell madly in love with him. He even tried to convert the Emperor to Christianity, which was the last straw. Valentine was beaten and beheaded – executed for standing up for love as well as for his faith. He was a true martyr for his faith. On February 14th, the day before he was beheaded, he wrote a love letter to his girlfriend, and he signed it From Your Valentine! And that is the rest of story and the origin of Valentine’s Day!
And I would submit to you today that LOVE is the most powerful force in the Universe. I would also say that the most important thing we can have for our body, soul and spirit is LOVE! The Bible says that God is love, (1 John 4:8) and that love covers a multitude of sins. The Bible also says that “now abideth faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13. We all need the love of family, friends, and most of all the love OF God and love FOR God.
There are several types of love: Eros love is the erotic love between and man and a woman, husband and wife, and the love we experience in marriage. Philia love is the love we have for our brothers, sisters, neighbors and friends. It is called Brotherly love. Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly love. Storge love is the love of parents for children. Children grow up, but parents never stop loving them, regardless of their age or their behavior. This type of love is unconditional. And Agape love is the love we have for God and mankind. This is the highest form of love. Jesus said the greatest Commandment is to love God with our whole heart, mind and strength, and the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as our self.
We can show our love for God by praising Him and expressing our faith and gratitude to him in prayer and in praise in church. We can also show our love for our fellow man by doing good deeds for others, especially when they are sick or in need.
But we all need love every day. Science tells us that we need at least 4 hugs per day to be healthy. Four hugs a day stop depression. Eight hugs a day give us mental stability. And twelve hugs a day give us real psychological growth! Hugs actually improve your immune system and blood pressure and make you healthy! And, we all need to pray and tell Almighty God how much we love Him every day. The love of God is very important and produces many miracles in our life!
The Bible teaches that the love of God gives us the pathway to eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosever believed in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16. That is the love of God, which is the most powerful force in the Universe.
The Bible also teaches that perfect love casts out fear. Fear is a major problem in our world today. Fear became epidemic during the COVID plague. People all over the world were living in fear of being sick with a deadly virus. Millions of people are mentally ill with fear and anxiety, and multitudes take medication to help with their fear. But the Bible tells us that if we truly love God and our fellow man, and take action to show that love, then fear and anxiety will leave us. Perfect love casts out fear. When we forget about ourselves, and focus on God and others, then we will no longer be fearful and anxious. It’s very true, and I urge you to try it!
Another type of love is the love we have for our pets and animals. I believe that God gave us animals and pets to love them and to love us. Many say that a dog is man’s best friend. Someone also said that the older I get the more I love my dogs more than people. I now have two beautiful dogs – Tina and Bella. Tina is a gorgeous Sheltie, or small collie. Bella is a toy Aussie. Both of them love me dearly, and they follow me all day long wherever I go, from one room to the next. They have been my best buddies in sickness and in health over the last ten years. When I was sick with Covid and Diabetes for over a year, my two dogs were my constant companions and their love was very important to my healing, as well as the love and prayers of my wife and friends.
Dr. Martin Luther King was one of our greatest Americans. Dr. King always preached the importance of love and non-violent protest of immoral laws and racial discrimination. He said many times that only love can conquer hate. And he was right. Love is very powerful. Because Dr. King taught love and non-violence, the wall of prejudice and hate in America came crashing down.
Jesus said to love your enemies and turn the other cheek.
My prayer for you today on Valentine’s Day and all year long, is that you will make love the top priority in your life. I pray that you will love God and your fellow man as you love yourself. And I pray that you will have the love of family and friends and pets, and most of all, the love of God! Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR- JUDGE JOHN MARSHALL MEISBURG JR.
Judge John Marshall Meisburg, Jr., was a U.S. Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration for 26 years in Jacksonville, Florida. He retired as a judge in 2021 and is now living in Fernandina Beach, Florida with his wife of 43 years, Dr. Denise Meisburg. They have six children and 11 grandchildren. Prior to being a judge, he was a lawyer with the Federal government for 23 years, serving in all three branches of the government, with the U.S. District Court, EEOC, Justice Department, Congress, FDIC and Office of Special Counsel (MSPB). He was in private law practice one year in Washington, D.C. and filed the lawsuit that became the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case on sexual harassment. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Kentucky, and a Juris Doctor law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He is a lifelong Christian, being raised in the Baptist faith in Louisville, Kentucky. He was an Elder at New Life Christian Fellowship in Jacksonville where he taught Sunday School, the Jewish Roots of the Faith and the Christian Heritage of America. He was a leader of both the National Day of Prayer and the House of Prayer in Jacksonville for over ten years. He has published ten books relating to Christian and legal ssues. He is now a member of Living Waters World Outreach Center in Fernandina Beach, where he serves in the prayer and home group ministry, and is a member of the Board of Directors for Faith Christian Academy.
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal Florida
