Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God. - 1 John 4:7.

Valentine’s Day has been officially banned in Saudi Arabia. As a result of the ban, shops are prohibited from selling red roses, and couples are prohibited from displaying public affection. Saudi Arabia’s Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Evil, will be conducting constant patrols to make sure no one is celebrating Valentine’s Day, which they consider an un-Islamic holiday. Students have even been cautioned by their teachers about the danger of wearing red, or any Valentine related things on February 14. Not all Islamic countries take the view of Saudi Arabia. Iran, and the United Arab Emirates do permit the celebration of Valentine’s Day.

Can you imagine how drab and dreary our world would be without love? How sad would it be if no one ever demonstrated their affection for another person in public (Although some PDAs do go too far and are offensive to almost everyone.). If acts of kindness born out of love were banned, it would indeed be an ugly world in which to live. It is hard to imagine even the possibility of such a place; but not very long ago, Afghanistan under Taliban rule was very close to being exactly that.

There is so much hatred and evil in the world surely we should take every opportunity to express the love of God. The dictionary defines a "valentine" as a gift, or greeting, sent or given on Valentine’s Day. And since it is on Valentine’s Day, we would assume the gift or greeting would be one of love. Our Heavenly Father has given us the greatest example of sending gifts of love. He has sent us the greatest love gift of all. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)." "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)."

Think for a moment, about how you can demonstrate the love of God toward those around you. Here are some ideas: kindness, patience, generosity, unselfishness, and putting the interests of others before your own. You can probably think of many other ways to demonstrate the love of God toward others. Today on Valentine’s Day, let us send a message of love from God, to those we encounter along the road of life by our words and actions. Let us not stop with today, but continue on throughout the year spreading the love of God.