When we read this passage from the 10th Chapter of Proverbs, it may at first seem unremarkable.
9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,
but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up conflict,
from Proverbs, Chapter 10
but love covers over all wrongs.
Those wise, clear exhortations to treat our fellows with courtesy and respect are timeless. The exhortations to let love be our guiding principle in all things.
These words of wisdom are common to all cultures and all religions. All spiritual paths.
As verse 12 wraps up, the clear emphasis is on love and how love can cover over all wrongs.
Just in case a reader may think that Solomon had been imbibing too much of the fruit of the vine and had gone all hippy on us, there are, of course, hundreds–if not thousands–of passages from the Bible that put over that very same idea.
And from the literature and sacred books of a thousand religions and cultures.
The common folk saying found below is an almost word-for-word paraphrase of the familiar Wisdom we read in Matthew chapter 7, verse 12:
Do unto others as you would have done unto you.
Common folk saying
It is hard, at times, to understand why so many of us are in such great need of being reminded of these things.
The reminders, the exhortations, come from a thousand voices, heard at every turn as we walk along life’s path.
And often we aren’t listening.
I’m not. You’re not. He’s not. She’s not. They’re not.
Listen to those voices.
Heed them.
Let love be your touchstone, your all-in-all.
Brother Ben
© The Fellowship of St Francis, Inc.
The Fellowship of St Francis 