This isn’t the first time. Severally it has happened. It isn’t a coincidence, rather a divine orchestration to unmask and demobilise the ploy to make love a channel for immorality.Â
I4th February isn’t what it had already been painted to look like. It is much more, worths more and gives a pure dimension of what true love is and should be.
For years, 14th February has suffered corruption. Marred and made to look like one dirty thing that daints and smears. It is much more than it has been presented to the world. It is Purity. It is charity, godliness and cleanliness.
I tell you for free, what the world celebrates on every 14th of February isn’t love but its corrupted version. An imitation of what love is.
This year’ 14th Feb isn’t for the carnal minded. Isn’t going to be a carnival for a brutal show of carnality from the camps of Genze- bado and those whose flanks are too flexible, with a terrible aversion for discipline.
14th February 2024, all passion, all lust, all craves for inordinate feelings etc go on that road of mortification, as we bury our selves into the ashes of self denial. Our lust, inordinate craves, thoughts and manipulative aura of our human sensuality must equally be buried in the ashes of emptiness, mortification, self denial, and continence.
The Ash is a place of emptiness. It is a place of humbling, where the very wide and crazy power of human sensual craves are lowered for control. It doesn’t die but it can be weakened by ones deliberate and continuous rolling in the ash of penance and self mortification.
14th of Feb being on Ash Wednesday may not be mere coincidence . It is deep, deeper than what mere eyes could see. Look deeper and know the message, admonition and the liberative signs it gives.
Subdue that whirlwind of human fantasy and passion, as sizzling as it can be through the power of the cross and the emptying of human nature in the ashes of nothingness.
Let us celebrate this year’s Valentine’s day ( Lover’s day) giving love, sharing love and professing love as shown and exemplified on the cross. Vicarious as it is called! Selfless as it is couched and very magnanimous in atoning for our wrongs, lacklustre in taking undue advantage, stoking up the embers of human concubeciences.
Let us not be so much carried away by what to squeeze carnally from people’ weak and vulnerable spots than what to give to strengthen the bond morally.
Until we begin to see everybody, male or female from the lenses of Christ crucified, our love expressions would be nothing but sensual and manipulative.
Happy valentines to all my friends in advance as we lead our lust, inordinate feelings etc to the ashes where our nothingness and futility of human passion are humbled.
Check through your name or surname, if it is devoid of all the letters in the name “JESUS”, you can go ahead to play the casanova this 14th February. But If there is any alphabet in the name Jesus that is found in yours, Jesus is telling you, in his name you have a share. A share to proclaim the gospel, to live morally and to share his kind of love expressed on the cross.
Most interestingly, If your name starts with J more than every other names that shares in the other alphabets in Jesus’ name, you are called deeply to champion this unmasking of the dirts, ills and stinks of 14th February and disinfect it with the fragrance of godliness .
Ash Wednesday! Killing The Spirit of immorality: Killing The Spirit of immorality! 14th February .
Play this love by the standard of the world, you sure would be depressed. But play it looking towards Jesus the author and finisher of life, you will not only be impressed, you will get rest.
Happy Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s day in advance! Let us responsibly celebrate them, having Christ at the centre of them all.
Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com
