By Marvelous Ihotu Ogebe
Every February 14, the world celebrates Valentine’s Day with flowers, gifts, and affectionate messages. It is a day set aside to express love to friends, family, and romantic partners. A day filled with loud red decorations and clothes. A day filled with packages, cakes, perfumes, proposals, and plenty of posts on WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, and other social media platforms, declaring undying and unending love.
While Valentine’s Day reminds us that love should be expressed, Easter reveals what true love really means. At first, these two celebrations may look very different—one full of gifts and enjoyment, the other deeper and more serious. But if we look closely, both reflect love: Valentine talks about human love, while Easter shows us the true love of God.
Valentine’s Day often focuses on romantic relationships. It can sometimes create pressure, making people notice who received gifts and who did not, who is loved, and who is forgotten. But the love of God, which Easter proclaims, does not depend on status, position, post, wealth, appearance, popularity, or the like.
Unlike human love, which can change, fail, and is sometimes empty or fake, God’s love does not change, nor does it fade or grow weak. Easter reminds us that even in suffering and darkness, God’s love does not hurt or fail.
As students and young people navigating friendship, academics, and personal growth, we often search for acceptance and belonging. The message of Easter assures us that we are already deeply loved by God. This love provides confidence, peace, and purpose. It provides self-worth because we know we are valued in the sight of God.
So, as we move in the spirit of Valentine and Easter, we are reminded that the greatest love story is not written in text messages or social media posts. It is a story of God’s love for humanity—a love that forgives and never fails, a love so encompassing.
Marvelous Ihotu Ogebei is an SS3 student of Lordswill Academy, Abuja