It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and I am thinking about love, yet strangely I am thinking of love in the context of the Super Bowl. Never thought I’d say that!

Bad Bunny’s halftime show was filled with love, in stark contrast to the hateful messages that were hurled at him before and after his performance. He reminded us that we can choose to love even amidst hate; it is our choice. His show was all about love—love for his culture (a culture which is part of America), the love of those two people who got married, love for people in general—a community of people coming together to dance and celebrate and be joyful.

It surprised me how much I liked his show, and I was even more surprised that Brandi Carlile sang America the Beautiful. This is someone I would not expect to sing about how beautiful America is at this moment in time. A queer feminist icon who apparently still loves America.

And speaking of surprises…Green Day doing a pre-game show? I wouldn’t have bet on that either. Another bunch of people who are the opposite of everything I think of in terms of football culture. Yet here they were…

Green Day, Charlie Puth, Brandi Carlile, Bad Bunny. A pretty diverse cast of characters, which is exactly what America is. It’s the part of America that I really do still love. The diversity of voices and also the ability to put all the differences aside for a day.

On a smaller scale, it makes me think about the family and friends who have different opinions but are able to set that aside to enjoy a holiday or meal together and know you still love each other.

Which was Bad Bunny’s parting message. The only thing more powerful than hate is love. I truly believe that we need love now more than ever. There is so much hate and anger and fear and blame. We do not need any more of that! Let’s recommit to love, acknowledging that it can be extremely challenging at times. But love is more powerful than hate, so let’s embrace the power of love. It’s Valentine’s Day anyway, so might as well!