Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. The person who doesn’t love does not know God, because God is love. This is how the love of God is revealed to us:

1 John 4:7-9

Today is February 14. That means Valentine’s Day. I have never been a fan of the way the day has become a kind of poster child for what is artificial, selling inauthenticity, tackiness, schmaltz, cheese, and surface level sentimentality; at the same time, however, I am a huge fan of love.

So today, with Rebekah far away in Bahrain, I am going to use this as my opportunity to share a video blog post that puts the spotlight on what is real love; or, maybe better expressed, love that goes beyond what we see on the surface and begins to plumb the depths of the love we read about in the New Testament.

Strip everything else away, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13, and what endures, what best defines the nature of God and God’s relationship toward us, is love. Love outlasts everything.

In the video I share a song I wrote for Rebekah (not that well, because I am very rusty!) Here it is. Then – below – you can read the words.

This song – written in 1977 and adapted for today – is for Rebekah. But the invitation to love, and to be loved, is for everyone. It’s an invitation I can’t imagine anyone passing up once they really understand what is at stake.

In love, and because of love – DEREK

1. We’ve been together now for forty-five plus years. I’m grateful every moment of each day. Flowers, chocolates, hearts and more, and joy and love and tears. And still I struggle hard with what to say.

My life’s been touched by something I never knew. I know that I’m in love Damage is done and I’ll never be the same. That’s just what I want to tell you.

2. Every time I see you you’re more beautiful to me and when I look in to your eyes, I see deep pools of loving kindness reaching out to me, their warming love adds something to my life.

My life’s been touched by something I never knew. I know that I’m in love Damage is done and I’ll never be the same. That’s just what I want to tell you.

3. And now I’m with you I just really want to say, you compliment my life so very well. We fit together in some very special ways, don’t ask me how you know I cannot tell.

My life’s been touched by something I never knew. I know that I’m in love Damage is done and I’ll never be the same. That’s just what I want to tell you.

Derek Maul