The Sensational Salisbury District

Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! 

This year's calendar afforded us with an interesting, and challenging opportunity, as the church, for two significant events - Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday - that fell on the same day, February 14th. What might these days have in common?

Valentine's Day has historically been associated with the sharing of love notes and gifts between those who have special love relationships, such as boyfriend and girlfriend and husband and wife. Sources tells us that two martyrs, two Christian men that were executed in ancient times, were named Valentine, and their actions were associated with love. Legend tells us that Valentine officiated marriages for Roman soldiers, going against the emperor's wishes.  Another story tells us that Valentine wrote the first "valentine" greeting to a young girl he fell in love with while he was imprisoned for the crime of those illegal marriages. Legend says, Valentine signed the last letter to his love, before his execution, with these words - "From your Valentine," which began the use of the centuries old phrase to this day. These accounts are legends, but they do lift up the thought of one being willing to suffer, yeah event to die, for love.

Ash Wednesday marks the start of the Lenten season, that forty day period of the church year that leads up to Easter. On this day, worship services center around the marking of the forehead of worshippers with ashes. The minister says, "Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return" emphasizing the need for us to reflect on our being born into sin and the need we all have to repent and be saved, through belief that Jesus died for our sins. John 15:13 tells us of Jesus's sacrificial death with these words "Greater love has no one that this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (NKJV)

So, both Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday remind us of acts of love, the legendary ones committed by the two Valentines and the actual one committed by Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Can we let this day go by withough doing justice to the rare opportunity to show love and appreciation to our loved ones, especially the one that died forus?  As we receive ashes - as we receive and give the cards and the gifts - let us continue in the season to be people that are better each day because of God's love, expressed by King Jesus so vividly. If we could have asked Him, "How much do you love me?", only He could have replied, "This much!", hang his head and die. But, thanks be to God, that's not how the story ends, for on the third day morning, He rose, with all power in his hands. Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday on the same day?  No problem, for those of us who have experienced the wilderness and completeness of a love that has and will stand the test of time!

Rev. Carla, our wonderful First Lady, and I pray for our seventeen churches and all those God will send our way, as we enter into the Lenten Season and continue in the Conference Year!

Yours in Christ,

Reverend Dr. Grant Harrison, Jr.

Presiding Elder

Reverend Carla Harrison

First Lady

Sister Camille C. Starnes 

Missionary Supervisor

The Right Reverend Bishop Darryl B. Starnes, Sr.

Presiding Prelate

The Sensational Salisbury District

Western North Carolina Conference

Piedmont Episcopal District

The A.M.E. Zion Church