Dear Family, Friends and Supporters,
We bring you news from the Land of Plum Blossoms. “Aha!” You thought it was the Land of Cherry Blossoms! “Well!” That is true, but the flowering plum is the harbinger of spring here in Japan and the cherry blossoms are the glory of spring! As with the early blooming of the almond in the scriptures, so the bloom of the plum comes in February, and, like tax season rolls around year to year on us (right now), so does Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day has an ambiguous history, perhaps preceding the origin of Rome itself in the pagan Lupercalian Festival, but along comes the history of Christian martyrs by the name of Valentine. Then we wait until the 14th century to see it so romanticized as we know it today, the Valentine Cards of the 17th century– and now Japan has added another evolutionary change to accommodate the sale of more chocolates with a March 14th day for the men to (finally step up) respond to the chocolates given them by ladies the 14th of February–if interested 🙂 !?
In our Clark family, Grandpa and Grandma, have always made Valentine’s Day a special FAMILY-FUN time of showing our love for our kids and our grandchildren. Then again, as Valentine’s Day rolls around, I always try to make an emphasis with our International Night on
GOD’s LOVE. Perhaps no better statement of true love has been made than the Apostle Paul’s Inspired Word, of 1 Corinthians. I especially appreciate Phillips’ paraphrase and it has always been a part of my marriage ceremonies.
“This LOVE of which I speak is slow to lose patience – it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touchy. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails. Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen. In this life we have three great lasting qualities – faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is LOVE” (I Cor. 13:4-8a,13).
Of course, Paul is not the only one to speak to love. Paul is the Apostle of Grace; John is the Apostle of Love. We well know John’s Word, “God is love” and “Love is of God” marking it as God’s “new commandment,” that we “love one another” in that “For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son.” And by loving Him, Jesus, “all men will know,” “we love God!”
There is a cliche we are familiar with, that it is love that makes the world go around. As lightly intended as a statement that may be, it may well be the ultimate TRUTH: that when all else is said and done, and time as we know it is over, and faith and hope have been served, as God is LOVE, all that remains is love. True love is a part of all relationship. Love is an attitude, a posture of life, life. Paul’s description as above, is about a love-lived life–the GREATEST-COMMANDMENT (Mark 12:28ff).
While living in this great nation of Japan, one yet in GREAT need of the GOSPEL, we live in good health, generally safe and in a free country!
On the other hand, this is as horrific a time as in ages past for the persecution of the Church around the world. While the world was horrified at 21 martyrs walking a beautiful beach in Libya to their deaths carrying on their lips the name of the, “
Lord Jesus Christ,” we in Japan are reminded of how on February 5, 1597, twenty-six Japanese Christians, having been marched and conveyed all the way from Kyoto to Nagasaki (485 miles), were executed by crucifixion for their FAITH.
Not often do I quote the Pope (not all Popes have been so kind in history), “The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard. It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orothodox, Copts or Protestants. They are Christians!” and he added: “The martyrs belong to all Christians.” “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” (Revelation 14:13).
We trust you have enjoyed some chocolates, maybe given someone some roses–Rickie received hers 🙂 ! “Thank You!” for your thoughts for us and prayers–prayer can and does change things!
“Unto Him!” ~~bro’Paul w/sis’Rickie
