Every day is Valentine's Day in the Bible

It's probably no coincidence the day set aside to honor romantic love was named for a Catholic saint — St. Valentine. The scriptures are awash with love stories.

John Steinbeck claimed he found fame and fortune by retelling Bible stories. America's romance novelists have done pretty much the same thing. Whatever flavor of love you're looking for, the Bible has a taste.

Betrayal? Devotion? Sacrifice? Sin?

They're all in there.

Throw a dart at a Bible character, in fact, and you're bound to hit someone who is dealing with "love issues."

The headliners of love in the Bible are known to most people: Adam and Eve, Joseph and Mary, Samson and Delilah, David and Bathsheba. But tucked between those pages are dozens of other tales that touch the heart and teach a lesson.

For love triangles, it's hard to trump Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. More than a domestic nightmare, the story eventually led to the birth of three of the world's great religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

And for sheer heartbreak, it's hard to top Hosea, the prophet who was told by Jehovah to marry a prostitute. Hapless Hosea spent the rest of his nights dragging his wife from the beds of strange men. The Lord was likely trying to teach Hosea about betrayal and how it must feel to have someone (Israel) turn their back on a loving spouse (God). But that probably didn't ease the 3 a.m. tears and turmoil that biblical twosome had to endure.

Love at first sight also pops up in scripture. When Salome dances for Herod, the king is smitten in an instant. And that little moment of love-struck idiocy ended up costing John the Baptist his head.

Elderly wives giving birth are also a major love theme. Elizabeth, John the Baptist's mother, comes to mind, as do Anna and Sarah.

And for sheer, unbridled passion, the story of David and Bathsheba stands as a hallmark of what can happen to a man when he gets too big for breeches and decides — in the famous words of Woody Allen — "the heart wants what it wants" and he won't deny his appetites.

And the story of Lot's wife looking back shows what happens when you put your own personal agenda and wants ahead of your most important relationships. Pride not only goes before a fall. It also undermines honest affection.