It’s the day after Valentine’s Day, and I made the mistake of going to the grocery and drug stores yesterday afternoon. I don’t remember the last time I saw so many flowers, special appetizers, desserts, chocolates, and balloons. For a minute, I thought, “How sweet,” as I watched person after person leaving the store with several of these love remembrances. But my next thought was, “This is a Hallmark holiday, and we’ve fallen into the trap of big spending.” We shouldn’t need a special day to express our love. And then there are the television commercials, talking non-stop about diamonds, vacations, and cars to impress the love of your life.

But after all the sales pitch of love, I thought about Jesus’s love. No one else has shown us what real love is all about…except Him. His love began in the person of His Father, creating the entire universe, putting everything in motion, and out of pure love — created us! Even after Adam and Eve sinned, God still loved them and promised them another chance. Today, he continues to watch over us. He loves unconditionally, and this all-loving, all-powerful, Almighty God, bigger than life itself… showed us what love really is when he died on the cross to save us from eternal death!

Valentine’s Day is special for many, but its expression of love pales in comparison to the love Almighty God has for us. Nothing can equal it, and no one can take it away. Something to remember…

About the author: Rev. Elizabeth L. Nelson is the priest at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church in LaBelle.