Love seeks goodness

“Love covers many sins” (1 Peter 4, 8)

This is what love can do! Christian love does not insist on the other person’s faults, but seeks to cover them. We all have faults, we all can become unpleasant to some of our brothers, through certain features of ours, we all may face such situations in life.

Life would become unbearable, if we paid attention to every single expression of discontent or fit of irritability, if we sought explanation and apologies for every single offence made to us. Even our family relations would become impossible.

In the soul of every person, even in that of the biggest sinner, there is a seed of goodness, while evil is often a mere consequence of distortion of this goodness that is only in its germinal stage. Love is understanding and compassionate. Love likes finding goodness – anywhere and anytime; love believes in goodness, and seeks it everywhere. It is a gift from God Who urges us to be kind and indulgent to other persons’ imperfections, but remain always exigent and severe towards our own selves. It is not a form of cowardice, but it is that heavenly, upper love that seeks the brightened face of a human being, rather than plunging into abyss. Love forgives even those with petrified hearts, finds excuses to those who condemn others.

Let us not forget that true love that is always unfailing, does not come from within ourselves, but is from God. The stronger and steadier we hold to its source, the better and steadier will we be able to slake our thirst with His water.

Fragment from “Every day is a gift from God. 366 useful words for every day of the year.

Sofia, Bucuresti, 2008, p. 92-93