“Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8 NRSVue
Reflection:
Love. I have heard it talked about in church as far back as I can remember. We all know that we are to love, but it seems so hard.
All the truly harsh, unloving, even evil things that have happened to me in my life have come at the hands of those who claim to be followers of Christ. It seems that such people always manage to find a way to justify their unloving behavior. It is a hard thing to reconcile.
But the start of this verse arrests my attention. “ABOVE ALL.” More important than anything else is the love we are to hold for and give to our fellow humans. This sharing of love is not an occasional thing, but rather it is to be a constant practice.
There is no justification for the follower of Christ to behave unlovingly.
Often, the faulty justification offered by Christians for their lack of love is related to the perceived sin of the other person. A common excuse is the sexual ethic of the other person. Another justification is their political or economic philosophy. When we do not approve of others’ lifestyles or beliefs, we seek to justify our unloving treatment of them.
However, if we truly loved them, our love would cover whatever sin of theirs bothers us. Christ’s love covered the sin of the entire human species, yet we are often unable to allow our own love to cover the sins of a single person.
The unwelcome reality is that the greater sin is not found with the other person, but in our lack of commitment to love above all else.
A Quote to Consider:
“If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted.”
–Amy Carmichael
This is an unpleasant quote to contemplate. I can be impatient. I can say harsh words. Does that mean I know absolutely nothing of Calvary love?
I would argue the answer is both yes and no.
None of us is perfect, and we should not let that riddle us with guilt. However, we all too easily dismiss our own failings, excusing and rationalizing them away.
While I think I do know something of Calvary love, I know far less than I can comfortably admit. The fact that I can be impatient and say harsh words should not be something that I callously dismiss, nor should it be something that cripples me with guilt. But it should be a reminder that when I am in those states, I am not brimful of the sweet water of Jesus.
My cup contains plenty of my own bitter water. I may keep a sparkling, freshly washed cup, but just a little jolt can cause my bitter water to spill out.
While not being content with it, we all need to offer ourselves grace in the face of the reality that our cups contain bitter water. Christ can refresh our bitter water with his sweet water. The Christian life is us seeking Christ, allowing Him to sweeten our bitter water.
Be patient with yourself through the jolts of life.
Prayer:
Lord,
Fill our hearts with Your sweet love, so that even when life jolts us, what overflows is grace, not bitterness. Teach us to continually nurture the type of love with which You love us.
Amen.
Image: Pamela Reynoso
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