Oh Love, that will not let me go

Greetings. I hope yall's Valentine's Day has been full of love and free of materialism.

I realize this is very cliche to talk about, but considering this worldly holiday perpetuated by greeting card companies and women who need to feel wanted more than anything, I'd like to take some time to share with yall some thoughts I've been having today...

Now first of all, I'm not hating on Valentine's Day. I try my hardest not to hate on anything. I realize that loved ones are important, but I feel like our society's definition of love is one that often is conditional. We will only "love" those who look like us, think like us, or even have the same skin color as us. But what would our world look like if our love was something bigger, something free of condition? My best friend Kristen Houser, a dedicated laborer to the ONE campaign and freedom in general, was talking the other day about having a broad love. It struck me as a very simple but brilliant concept... This is something I feel like our society is in desperate need of - a love that does not consider a person's status, region of the world, or physical appearance... but rather, one that considers simply a person's humanity.

This is where the ONE campaign comes in. I feel very strongly about spreading this message, that while drive our SUV's to McDonald's for a quarter-pounder, thousands of children are starving around the world. People need to understand the reality of other countries' hunger. The ONE campaign has already made some great strides - and these are not just world leaders out there creating change; we as students are making progress.

BUT, I think the most important thing to remember as we work for justice is the reason behind it all, and that is to have/spread a broad love for the world, for our fellow man. I know that a lot of times, we can get caught up in numbers and points and reaching goals and even looking like a cool activist kid... but all this is vanity if it is not rooted in love. So I encourage all of you who are working very hard in this fight, to take a second and remember on this Valentine's Day: we work to love, not to gain anything.

-Meredith Wadlington