LOVE COVERS IT ALL
LOVE COVERS IT ALL
“Love”, they say,“is a many splendoured thing”; and the Cambridge Dictionary defines “splendour” as “great beauty that attracts admiration ànd attention”. In my native language, Yoruba, the word “splendour” is translated “ologo” which literally means “something glorious”. I would therefore like to conclude that Love is indeed a glorious thing.
The “Glorious thing” called love has been described as a law, a Royal Law. A law that if kept and adhered to, one will be said to have “done right. To love is to do right.” “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right.” James 2 : 8 NIV We are told here by James that the “Royal Law” according to scripture is “to love our neighbour as ourselves. ” And it must follow from there that if we do not in fact love our neighbour as ourselves, then we are not fulfilling the law and we have done wrong.. So how exactly can we love our neighbour as ourselves? The depth of love is made known to us in 1 Corinthians 13: 1-3. where we see that speaking in tongues, having the gift of prophecy and great faith and even going as far as giving ones body as a sacrifice in order to boast about it , mean absolutely NOTHING if we do not love one another. We can love our neighbour by being patient with that employee that always takes their time when trying to explain something. We can be kind to our domestic staff, we can stop being jealous of that friend’s accomplishment but rather celebrate them and be genuinely happy for them. We can love our neighbour when we stop boasting about all that we own knowing that they are still struggling. We can love our neighbour by always being respectful to friends and family who do not have as much as we do. We should not talk or look down at them either, it is rude. If you love your spouse you will not keep reminding them of a past indiscretion. You are not to keep records of their past wrongs. Are you in a group with someone who has difficulty grasping things, who is a bit or even very slow on the uptake? Or is there a sibling, friend or actual neighbour of yours who refuses to stop being wayward or promiscuous? Do not shut them out and treat them like the scum of the earth, never give up on them or lose faith in them. As you pray for them be hopeful that they will change for the better. By doing all these we are showing love to others.
“If you love others, you will never do them wrong; to love, then, is to obey the whole Law.” Romans 13:10 (Good News Translation)
That is it in a nutshell. If there is genuine love, it is not possible to harm or hurt other people. There is so much hate around with all the violence: domestic and otherwise, kidnapping for hefty ransoms and abduction for money rituals, abuse and harassment, manipulation; the list is endless. Let us be the light in the darkness that is all around us now by spreading the Glorious thing that is love. Let us love our neighbour as ourselves.
“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8 NLT
OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©