Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy S.A.D.?

February 14th is known to most as Valentine’s Day. To a few traditionalists, it’s even St. Valentine’s Day. However, to a notable segment of society, it is recognized as S.A.D. (Singles Awareness Day.)

Standing starkly against other holidays, S.A.D. is supposedly the lowest point of the year for singles. Where married and dating couples exchange flowers and chocolate, S.A.D. participants are content to mope on the sidelines. No chocolate candies or surprise engagement rings for them. O woe!

Much of S.A.D. sadness, I suspect, does not stem from relationship problems but from hope problems. I have never met a human being without a future hope. Whether it is a long-term career aspiration or just an anticipation for dinner, to be without hope is to be dead. In fact, all of creation is spoken of as having hope, or unsatisfied longings. (Romans 8:19) Proverbs 13:12 says that these feelings are a force to be reckoned with: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.”

Unlike the rest of the world, which may pin its hopes solely on marriage or some politically correct “mutually beneficial relationship,” Christians have a different aspiration. Augustine wrote, “Christ is not valued at all unless He is valued above all.” The hope of one day being able to value Christ above all, uninhibited by human frailty, fills me with excitement. The longing to cherish His Presence up close and to always exist in His company is, well, heavenly. Nothing compares with it; and with hope placed securely in that promised future, S.A.D. worries hold no sway.

Valentine’s Day--a celebration of marriage and love in a time where marriage is rarely respected--is a holiday for all. Singles, enjoy this day, even if you must buy the chocolate yourself.

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