“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.”
Yesterday I was walking into a restaurant and watched a man on the phone explaining why it was ok that the person he was talking to could not join them for lunch. I wasn’t eavesdropping. They were right by the door and they were really loud. As I approached I could see the woman with him seething and cursing at him about her hatred of the one he was talking to and what she would do when she next saw him. I don’t know context. I moved as swiftly as I could on my knee scooter to get past them. However, it was obvious the person on the phone had done something in the past that made her angry, bitter and vengeful. Solomon is speaking to her. Maybe also to you. This verse is dealing with the ancient blood feud. It is describing someone who “rakes up the past” to keep it alive and keep the battle going. The holidays are known for bringing families together. Often this includes some members with unresolved past conflicts. Solomon is declaring that the resolution to those conflicts and restoration of those relationships is found in love. True, God given, unconditional love. The Talmud pronounces, “To love a thing makes the eye blind, the ear deaf;” and the Arab says, “Love is the companion of blindness.” Being wronged in the past is one of the main causes of both heart and mind sickness. Therapists dig up the past with clients to get them to deal with it and move forward in life. God offers a powerful healing remedy: His love. This season is the perfect time for healing of past hurts. Today let God’s love heal your hurts. #BeTheEdge
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 NIV