February 14 marks the anniversary of St. Valentine of Rome's martyrdom in AD 269. He was executed by the emperor for his Christian faith and for marrying couples when marriage was temporarily illegal. St. Valentine's life and death demonstrate the high price that can sometimes accompany standing up for Christian values despite pushback from authority or the culture.

St. Valentine lived in Rome during the reign of Claudius II, also known as Claudius the Cruel. The Roman government was notorious for persecuting Christians ever since the Church's founding, in part because Christian ethics dissented from the practices of polygamy, homosexuality, pedophilia, and prostitution that were prevalent in the Empire. Rome was at war while Claudius II was in power, and he believed unmarried men made the best soldiers (because they didn't have families at home to worry about and couldn't use their marriage as an excuse to get out of military service). Claudius' desire to strengthen his army, combined with his prejudice towards Christians, led to his decision to make marriage illegal in Rome for a time.

The emperor's edict did not stop Valentine from marrying couples in secret. He didn't marry them because he was a hopeless romantic or because he wanted to defy the emperor, but because he believed that marriage was a core value of the Christian faith. Claudius soon discovered Valentine's actions and had him arrested.

While in jail, legend has it that Valentine befriended Judge Asterius and his adopted daughter, who was blind. According to some accounts, Valentine placed his hands on Asterius' daughter's eyes, and she was healed. Because of this miracle, the judge and his whole family became Christians and were baptized. He even released Valentine from confinement. However, the emperor arrested Valentine again, had him beaten, and later beheaded him for his "crimes." Before his execution, Valentine wrote to the judge's daughter and signed it, "Your Valentine." This gesture inspired the more modern tradition of writing letters to loved ones on the Feast of St. Valentine or "Valentine's Day."

Christianity's doctrine of marriage has been attacked countless times since the Church's early days and continues to be under attack in our modern culture. Our government's expansion of the definition of marriage, the spread of "no-fault" divorce laws, the proliferation of easily accessible pornography, and the current push to legalize prostitution are just a few of the recent cultural shifts that degrade human sexuality and ignore God's good intent for sex and marriage. Nearly every industry—including entertainment, Big Tech, and social media—promotes rather than discourages these trends. But a Christian understanding of marriage is worth protecting and fighting for—both for the societal good it does and how it depicts the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church.

Christians know that humanity did not invent marriage. Rather, it was ordained by God to be a picture of the Gospel, illustrating the enduring and sacrificial love that He has for the world. As the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 5:25-27, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that He might present the Church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish." (ESV).

The world has plenty of examples of one-night stands, adultery, divorce, unfaithfulness, and selfishness. What it needs are more examples of healthy, committed, selfless, God-centered marriages. Christians can provide these examples by committing and being accountable in their marriages, discipling the next generation on how to prepare for a godly marriage, and teaching others how marriage displays God's character.

Marriage is about much more than romance or sexual desire—it is about sacrifice and an image of God's love for us. Whether you are married, engaged, dating, or single, Valentine's Day is an opportunity to celebrate God's holy parable of marriage. St. Valentine sought to protect this image, and we can do the same today. May we all learn to sacrifice for one another and love just as Christ first loved us (1 John 4:19). Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Molly Carman formerly served in the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council.

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