What price love?

With the shops full of expensive chocolates, fluffy red hearts and a dozen red roses a snip at £40, Valentine’s Day is once again upon us.

The historical origins of St Valentine are, however, sketchy to say the least. There are various early Christian martyrs called Valentine, one of whom was buried in Rome on 14th February. Medieval writers didn’t allow a lack of ancient fact to get in the way of a good legend. Stories developed that the martyr Valentine had been a priest secretly performing marriages against the wishes of the Emperor. For his pains he was imprisoned where he performed a miracle curing the daughter of his jailer. He later fell in love with this young maid and the night before his execution wrote her a note signed, ‘from your Valentine.’

Fact or no, an annual celebration of romantic love strikes me as a good idea. The Bible has a lot to say on the subject famously describing Christian love or ‘agape’ in 1 Corinthians chapter 13. My favourite passage on love, however, is from the Song of Songs. At just eight chapters it is a book which can easily be overlooked but it is packed with beautiful and erotic imagery that speaks powerfully of yearning love and passionate embrace. It reminds us that love is not to be played with and that it’s value should never be underestimated. A timely reminder if you are still to go shopping for that special someone.

“Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of one’s house, it would be utterly scorned.”

Tree hugger

As the days begin to lengthen, Oscar (my Spaniel) and I have enjoyed listening to the Woodpeckers drumming out their territorial claims in Dulwich Woods.

So it is with concern that I read of plans to sell off hundreds of thousands of acres of British woodland.  It seems I’m not alone, a new poll suggests that the overwhelming majority of the public are against it and a recent letter of  protest in the Telegraph was signed by over ninety influential figures, including our own Archbishop.

Down the centuries, forests have served Britain well, from our Navy to our railways they have been a vital contributor to our island’s story.  In their latest incarnation they provide green lungs to our communities, diverse habitats and much needed places for rest and relaxation.

The sacredness of trees may well sound a dubious, hippy or even pagan idea but it is worth remembering that trees also feature at vital moments in our Christian story.  It was the tree in the Garden of Eden from which Adam plucked the fruit when humanity turned its back on God.  Christian mystics have often remembered that first tree and seen the cross on which Christ died as a second tree through which we turn back to God.  This ‘tree of beauty’ is one whose deep roots and spreading branches reunite heaven and earth, the world and it’s creator. 

A similar connection may well be made when we stroll through woods, climb trees and look up at the sky through a hundred shades of green.  At many levels, some of them barely understood, trees have a hold on us and we would do well to keep a hold on them.

Woodland Trust

38 degrees petition

Save our Forests Campaign