February is the shortest month. Often, it is also the coldest. It is dim, and gray. But it is also the Month of Love.
Yes, Valentine’s Day is an uber-arbitrary, Hallmark-infused modern commercial holiday essentially invented by Geoffrey Chaucer. Nonetheless, falling as it does right in the middle of February, it can lift the spirits in an otherwise potentially drab month. And, hey – any opportunity to celebrate love is good in my book.
There is, of course, the romantic kind of love (the type associated with Valentine’s Day) – but many other ways of love abound in this diverse world. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us that the Greeks had several different words to distinguish the nuances of what we English speakers think of simply as “love.” There was “eros,” the passionate, desire-driven love we tend to associate with Feb. 14. There was “philia,” the love shared by family and friends. And there was “agape,” the kind of love that King described as “spontaneous, unmotivated, overflowing, creative goodwill to [all].”
In other words: the Love that is the Spirit of this church. What better time than February, with its gray skies and bitter winds, to come home to Heritage? To the loving embrace that awaits you in the church that still – and always has – centered love. Whether you’ve been away for a while or attend, shall we say, religiously (pun intended). Whether you’re young or old(er), even if you’re brand new. On a recent snowy Sunday morning, two intrepid souls made their way to HUUC for the first time; each experienced the warm, inclusive welcome and judgment-free community we strive to be, week in and week out.
We’re hardly perfect. But I think we have a pretty good thing going here. A pretty rare thing, in this day and age (probably, in any day and age). So scroll through this newsletter, and take a look at what’s on tap this month – from worship services about faith and hope and love and healing, to gatherings for meals and conversation, to shared work to make our church, and our world, a better place. Come join us. Come experience the Month of Love at the church where Love is always centered.
Blessings,
Rev. Bill
February 2023.