Kora reflects on Valentine’s Day 💖
Long before it became a season of red roses and restaurant bookings, Valentine’s Day began as something far quieter — and far braver.
The Feast of Saint Valentine emerged in the early Christian centuries, honouring a priest (or possibly two men of the same name) who lived during the Roman Empire. The most enduring tradition tells of a Christian priest who secretly married couples at a time when marriage was restricted under Emperor Claudius II. For this defiance — grounded not in rebellion but in conviction — Valentine was imprisoned and eventually executed.
Love, in its earliest association with this day, was not sentimental. It was sacrificial.
For Papua New Guinea — a nation where faith still shapes daily life — that origin matters.
Christianity is not a cultural accessory here; it is woven into our villages, families, schools, and national story. The language of love in Scripture is not about indulgence but about commitment:
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God… for God is love.” (John 4:7–8)
The Christian understanding of love — agape — is steady, faithful, self-giving. It is less about romance and more about responsibility. Less about display and more about devotion.
History reminds us that Valentine’s Day has always carried deeper meaning. Shakespeare referenced it in Hamlet around 1600, linking it with longing, vulnerability, and human frailty. Even then, love was portrayed not as a commercial transaction, but as something powerful enough to wound — and to transform.
In a place like PNG, where relationships are central to life — family bonds, clan ties, church communities — love is not an abstract idea. It is practical. It is shared garden food. It is turning up at a haus krai. It is raising children together. It is forgiving when pride would be easier.
So perhaps Valentine’s Day is not about asking, “What gift should I buy?” but rather, “How am I loving?”
- Am I patient?
- Am I faithful?
- Am I generous?
- Am I truthful?
The Apostle Paul’s words remain as confronting as ever:
“Love is patient and kind… it is not proud… it keeps no record of wrongs.” (Corinthians 13:4)
In the end, Valentine’s Day is not a foreign import wrapped in red paper. Its roots lie in courage, conviction, and Christian witness. For Papua New Guinea, that heritage is not something borrowed — it is something understood.
Because real love is not loud. It is loyal. It endures. And it begins, as it always has, with the heart.
A closing thought
In Papua New Guinea today, love is not measured in bouquets or candlelight dinners. It is measured in commitment — in fathers who provide, mothers who nurture, young people who choose faithfulness, and communities who stand together in times of need. If Saint Valentine teaches us anything, it is this: love is strongest when it is lived, not displayed. And in a nation built on faith, family and fellowship, that kind of love is already at the heart of who we are.
Based on an earlier blog “Reclaim Valentine’s Day!” (5 Feb 2024) by Glenn Armstrong https://smartshopper-png.blogspot.com/2024/02/reclaim-valentines-day.html
Leave a Reply