By Orukotan Ayomikun Samuel
The make-up that brought about the existence of human beings had in its script the emotional, communal and carnal love. This structure was not the problem of man at the beginning (man was able to control its power and authority) but when civilization came, the composition of man was decomposed by both the physical and chemical means, the script was re-written just to meet the new demands of man, the opus was master-minded just to align man with the rest of the line. This modification and adjustment brought about this annual holiday meant for honouring lovers. “It is celebrated by sending greeting cards or gifts to express affection”. This holiday called valentine day was derived from the ancient roman feast of Lupercalia. Lupercalia is akin to “pagan holiday”. However, when the dominance of Christianity became evident all over Europe, Lupercalia was renamed for early Christian martyrs. So, in celebrating the two roman martyrs epithetic-ally called “saint valentine” who lived in the 3rd century, valentine day was instituted which was popularly known as the feast day. The two roman martyrs never had an obvious connection with courtship or lovers but they fought and died for love. Through them, valentine day has become the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas day and that is the more reason why we must celebrate Valentine’s Day according to the vision of the visionary.
As simple as the concept of valentine’s looks like, man and his perverted mind has redefined its simplicity. The simplicity has been intricately doped, the simplicity has been contaminated with frolicsomeness, people now have different schools of thought towards love and the statistical analysis of these isms of thought suggests digression from “true-love” and whatever it represents. But it’s a pity that this anomalous celebration of love is here again with its frill of infatuations, insanity and smooch-ness, it has brought again to the door-steps of many its lecherous excitement coupled with loads of unrequited love while the legacies of the martyrs who stood for true love is legging up. This redefinition has in its depository a dime of dozens inventory, it has a lot of immoral activities in its profile, this redefinition is making the world go crazy with loads of nude actions, incessant dressing everywhere just to attract the carnal love of man, it increased social vices, it was this re-definition that gave room for double-dating, break-up in a relationship, dumps, leaving someone at the altar, leaving someone for someone else and lot more but once-again the flora and the fauna will be at its peak in celebrating this lascivious status of man. What a letdown! What is the good thing that this puppy love has brought to us as a people? What value has this whippersnapper added to our devious and voyeuristic society? What useful output have we produced from this glitch aside the lust of flesh, the lust of eyes and the pride of life? What pious quality has it added to our different beliefs? Absolutely nothing priceless is added except for devaluation
The by-product of puppy love is selling fast in our society today, the products are becoming ostentatious, and the goods are becoming necessitated. The righteous are being infested, the pure in heart are being manipulated by the fiend, people are demanding for temporary comfort at the expense of eternal comfort. This is what the world has turned into. The redefinition that took away the vows of chastity, the redefinition that carted away our dignity, the redefinition that sold our honor and glory for a penny is here again. How we rise up to the occasion of redeeming our image is very instrumental even as we celebrate yet another episode of love.
So, let us consciously subscribe to the godly standard of love even as the world goes crazy once more. Your rationality in the midst of these irrationalities is the price you will have to pay for love. Valentine paid its own price, he earned the prize, Jesus Christ, the son of God did same and he also earned his prize. Do not forget that there are many athletes in this race of life but only one receives the gold. So run your race of love well according to the principle of the “greatest” love itself that you may conversely obtain your reward. Peace.