Love covereth
“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.”Proverbs 10:12
Reflection
Proverbs contrasts two forces at work in human relationships: "Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins." Hatred, resentment and bitterness have one characteristic: they get stirred up. They lie dormant, lurking, and any spark wakes them. A word, a look, an old memory, and the quarrel begins again. Whoever carries hatred inside has always an arsenal of old hurts ready to use. That is why conflicts, in homes and churches, often last for decades.
Love does the opposite: "covereth all sins". The verb "covereth" can be misunderstood. It is not hiding serious crimes, covering up abuse or pretending nothing happened. The Bible commands that sin be treated seriously, and there are situations in which justice and protection require that the wrong come to light. To cover, here, is the opposite of exposing in order to humiliate: it is not snooping, broadcasting and charging for every failure. It is forgiving, and choosing not to recall. Love prefers to restore quietly rather than to expose with fanfare.
Peter cites this principle in the New Testament: "above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins". In any coexistence (marriage, family, friendship, church, work), the failures of one and another are inevitable. A community only survives if it is able to forgive, not to make a small failure a scandal, not to spread others' errors in side conversations. Covering a fault with love is one of the most practical ways of imitating Christ, who covered our sins with His sacrifice.
Think today of an offense you have been feeding: a word said, an attitude, an injustice. Ask: do I keep stirring it up (reliving, commenting, brooding) or do I choose to cover it with love? If it is a wrong that can be settled with a frank and gentle conversation, talk. If it is a small failing, decide to let it pass. If it is a deep pain, ask God for the grace to forgive. And avoid, today, telling someone another person's error without need. Whoever chooses love discovers that peace is also contagious.
Prayer
Lord, free me from hatred, grudge and bitterness that stir up strife. Teach me to cover offenses with love, to forgive as You forgave me and not to spread others' failings. May Your love, poured into my heart, be what governs my relationships. Amen.
Put it into practice
Choose an offense you have been feeding and decide today to cover it with love: forgive in prayer and avoid commenting on it with others. If necessary, seek to talk with the person frankly and gently.
To reflect on
What old offense do you keep "stirring up" instead of covering with love, and what needs to happen for you to let it lie dormant?
Bible text: King James Version (public domain).