Overwhelming love

Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. – Proverbs 10v12

Some proverbs are a bit subtle. Some of them are a bit confusing. Sometimes proverbs can even be hard to understand. I think that there are some we won't understand until we get to heaven.

Sometimes, like here, they seem very simple at first appearance. Hatred stirs up trouble, but love covers all sins. That seems pretty clear, doesn't it? We all know that hatred causes trouble. That just makes sense. Nothing was ever better because of hatred.

But how do we understand 'love covers all sins.'

Does that mean that love lets everything go? Does that mean that love never says anything. Does that mean that love lets sin go unchecked?

Obviously not. True love thinks about the long term consequences of sin and intervenes to put an end to it. Love covering sin does not mean that love condones sin.

What does it mean then?

Actually I think it may be as simple as it looks. It means that love doesn't bear a grudge. Love doesn't keep bringing things up. Love lets it go once the sin is dealt with.

Love also keeps private things quiet. Love doesn't tell the whole world when private sins are being dealt with. Love doesn't Facebook or Twitter offences. Love doesn't gossip. Love deals with sin properly and sorts things out.

There are of course times when sin must be dealt with. Love doesn't allow others to suffer or be in danger. Sometimes sin has consequences that are going to be played out.

Even then though, love just keeps loving. Love stays there during the consequences. Love confronts sin, deals with it, and then moves on. Love overwhelms sin.