Today (Wednesday) is the day that the wee chubby guy with a bow and arrow appears and fires his arrows of love everywhere.

With one shot of his arrow, he makes a single red rose cost more than a bouquet in normal times.

With another shot of his arrow garage forecourts are magically overflowing with guys not looking for petrol but desperately seeking out the much sought after “oops I forgot - Garage Flowers” for their loved one. Then sitting in the car wishing for another arrow to magically get the price label off the cellophane packaging.

I’m afraid even that is beyond Cupid. Why do they do that!

For many of us I’m sure we wish the wee guy would just flap his silly looking wings and beat it. Love of course should be celebrated more than once a year and not confined to romantic relationships.

Love isn’t about some airy-fairy wee cherub and a box of chocolates. It’s often hard work and difficult as well as good and rewarding.

Our love for others tends to be conditional, doesn't it? Understandably, how we are treated by others affects how we see them and feel about them, and it can be a real rollercoaster at times.

Jesus puts the importance of love right at the top of His teachings. When asked by the teachers of the law what the greatest commandments were Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

"The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself'."

A challenge to us. Backed up by action from Jesus who displays to us God’s unconditional love at the cross.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8.

God opening the way up to a relationship with Him both then and now with no condition other than his amazing love for us. How will we respond?