It’s that time of year when the message of love is spread in every corner of the world. Preachers preach the language of love, teachers teach it and the atmosphere has that unmistakable scent of love in the air.
Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14th, the world over. It is a day that contains the vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. It is usually associated with flowers, romance and gifts exchanged between loved ones. It is generally a day and even period set aside to show and spread love.
There is a need to re-channel our values in the present day Nigeria to give meaning to the word, love. There is a lot of violence in the country. There is so much killing and bloodshed. There is a lot of inter religious killings, abductions and kidnap cases. Just recently, the Adamawa born CAN President of Michika Local Government Area was brutally killed because he refused to renounce Christianity and embrace Islam. Sharing the video of his beheading out into the world sent a strong message of hate. The killing of 18year old Michael Nnadi of Good Shepherd Seminary, who was also tortured alongside the wife of a medical doctor, Mrs Ataga, also sent a strong message of hate across the world.
Perhaps it is time for everyone to bring a change from their little corners. Let the Valentine period of the year 2020 be a time to spread love. There are many ways to bring a change to the tense environment of bloodshed and killings in the country. The romance aspect of it does not make sense anymore.
There are people languishing in different prisons all over the country. It will bring them a lot of joy if individuals or corporate organizations visit them with food items and different gifts at this time that valentine is in the air. It would be a thing of joy if sick people received gift items from total strangers in the spirit of valentine. In all hospitals, there are people that have long been discharged but held hostage because of their inability to pay their hospital bills. It would be a true show of love and practical Christianity if they were asked to pack their belongings and go home because their bills had been cleared by anonymous people.
The Motherless Babies Home is not left out. Those babies without maternal care could also do with some love, all in the spirit of Valentine’s Day.
The world would be a better place if only true love and practical Christianity were merged to make the world a better place. There is more gain in love than in hate. Happy Valentine’s Day!
