“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins’” (I Peter 4:8)
Consider the first sin following the landing of Noah’s ark. Just when it appeared that the Lord Almighty had found a solution to the rampant sinfulness of humanity by “baptizing” the whole earth, one son having found his father in disarray, mocked him rather than covering him up. One must never disrespect a parent. St. Peter insists that we love one another with an intense affection not just as a proper mutual attitude, but “above all things.” Nothing is more important. However, is that the case for us? We are Americans, after all. Notice the way other Christians worship. They attend services, they partake of sacraments – but as individuals. See the television preachers addressing several thousand worshippers. Do they relate to one another – or to him?
Liturgically we are commanded: Let us love one another, that with one mind and heart we may confess…Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one in essence and undivided.” In order to confess the unity and indivisibility of the Holy Trinity, it is imperative that we love each other; otherwise, we are babbling words that we do not understand. How can we, if we have no experience of such love, because love implies identifying with the other person at the expense of self-love.
Do we know the meaning of love, or is it enough to love God? The Holy Bible here is not about loving God, but one another. Notice also the word “fervent.” Intense, wholehearted love, not token affection.
“Love will cover a multitude of sins.” This phrase is in separate quotation marks because it refers to a verse in Proverbs 10:12. There love is opposed to hate. Maybe Ham did not hate his father Noah, but he did not express affection. One meaning of love is to overlook, ignore, or at least try to understand somebody who had sinned against us. In the commandment of Christ, forgive him. Nothing is more Christ-like than forgiveness. Such love is a companion of acceptance. People are the way they are. If you are accepting or at least tolerating one who offends you, then you have passed beyond judgment.
It also means that we are exempt from having the Lord judge us. Our sins are forgiven, which is what we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. How can it be that we recite that most famous of all prayers, and yet we do not take into account its meaning? Jesus is implying that you may admire those persons who are so perfect that they appear remote and austere. You respect them, and you may even want to be like them; but they may intimidate you by their flawlessness. On the other hand, you will meet and likely know those who have all sorts of faults. They never seem to get their lives in order, they try to change, yet they seem never to make it. They are forever vowing to improve; they make New Year’s promises all year long and break them before the day’s sunset. Yet you find it easy to love them.
The ultimate explanation is not our love, which fails us over and over again. It is the love of the heavenly Father demonstrated by Jesus Christ and confirmed by the Holy Spirit in our hearts that gives the best interpretation of St. Peter’s admonition to love one another with a fervent passion and compassion. He is insisting that we work at trying to match divine love by our affection for each other. Of course it is impossible, but not futile. For your own sake, do not count on being loved by the Holy Trinity if you have not love for all the family members of the saved.