Love is the remedy

Today I found myself meditating on 1 Peter 4:8: “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” This was the first verse I was ever encouraged to memorize and it has always served as a gentle reminder that at the center of the Gospel is an act of love that covers all of our sins. The simple truth is that I will sin. It is love for others that leads me to confess those sins and try to remedy the damage that I do.

I once read a legend (totally unverified) about the Apostle John that said he had eventually been freed from his exile and, as an aged man, was once again part of a Christian community. The story continued by saying that the faithful would gather for worship and John would be brought in on a chair, because he was too old to walk. He would remain silent through the worship, but at the end he would be invited to speak (he was the last living apostle after all). He would raise his head and say as clearly as he could: “Love”. That is all he would ever say at these gatherings. One day, a student in the community asked him plaining: “You are the last of the apostles and had direct contact with our Lord. There is so much you could teach us, but all you say is ‘Love’?” John looked the young student in the eye, smiled and said, “That’s all that matters”.