“My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love is as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.” – William Shakespeare

“Ve’ahavta I’reacha kamocha”. – “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Leviticus 19:18

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13

“To love at all - is to be vulnerable.” - C.S. Lewis

Valentine’s Day is almost here. Florists are swamped, restaurants are booked, and Americans will spend billions on flowers, candy, jewelry, and cards. It’s one of the most commercialized days on the calendar — yet its origins are anything but commercial.

The story traces back to Saint Valentine, a priest in ancient Rome who defied an imperial decree that banned young soldiers from marrying. The emperor believed single men made better warriors. Valentine believed love and commitment made better men. He secretly performed weddings and was ultimately imprisoned and executed around 269 A.D. Tradition holds that before his death he signed a note, “From your Valentine.” Strip away the roses and reservations, and Valentine’s Day was never about sentiment. It was about sacrifice — choosing love even when it costs something.

If you pause and think about it, “love” may be the most overworked and yet most powerful word in the human vocabulary. Linguists estimate there are roughly 7,000 living languages on earth, and most of them don’t settle for just one word for love. Many have two, three, sometimes four distinct words separating romantic love, familial devotion, loyal friendship, even sacrificial or divine love. Across cultures and centuries, that likely amounts to tens of thousands of unique words that mean some form of love.

And then there’s music. I think I broke the internet last night when I Googled-- “how many songs have love in the title?” (yes, I still Google instead of AI– I’m so 2023 with that old school search engine) With more than 100 million songs cataloged on platforms like Spotify alone, even a conservative estimate suggests millions of songs contain “love” in the title alone. It was like Googling, “how many Auburn football players have entered the transfer portal?” No one knows…..The number simply cannot be calculated!

Few words are used more loosely or carry more weight than love. We say we love our spouse, our children, our country, our team, even our favorite meal. Across cultures, languages distinguish between romantic love, family, friendship, commitment, etc. Scripture too reflects that depth. Love is described not as a thin emotion but as layered throughout the Bible and is used in many ways to cover different meanings. It is action. It is perseverance. It is service.

That is where Rotary enters the conversation. Every time we give to a campaign to help others in need, mentor a student through Interact, recognize a first responder, or support education and health initiatives, we are practicing a disciplined form of love. We may not say the word specifically, but Service Above Self is love.

In 1885, when the Statue of Liberty arrived from France, America lacked funds to build the pedestal it would stand on. Publisher Joseph Pulitzer asked ordinary citizens to contribute — no gift too small. More than 120,000 people responded, most giving less than a dollar. Schoolchildren sent pennies. Immigrants gave what little they had. The pedestal was built not by a few wealthy benefactors, but by thousands of everyday people choosing action over apathy. Love of country became service in motion. At its best, love is not something you feel. It is something you do.

It is easy to love when it is convenient. It is harder when it requires time, money, patience, and consistency. Rotarians give their time, their resources, and their willingness to show up.

So perhaps the question this week is simple: Who else needs to feel seen? Where can I give something that costs me a little so someone else gains a lot? Martin Luther King Jr. asked, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” That question sits at the intersection of Valentine’s Day and Rotary. Love is not best measured by what we purchase, but by what we are willing to give.

In Rotary, we don’t just celebrate love one day a year. We practice it every day.

Sic Vos Non Vobis

Trummie Lee Patrick III