Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.
Two very ordinary observations, put side by side: hatred stirs up strife, love covers all offenses. Neither line needs a leap of faith to understand — anyone who's watched a small grudge escalate into a full-blown fight, or watched someone choose not to bring up an old wound, already knows both of these are just true.
What's worth noticing is the word "covers." Not ignores, not pretends the offense never happened — covers, the way you'd cover a wound so it can actually heal instead of staying exposed and getting worse. Love isn't described here as blind. It's described as something that chooses not to keep reopening what's already been dealt with.
Most of us have relationships running on the opposite pattern — old offenses kept on file, ready to be pulled out again. This proverb is a small, practical description of the alternative, without any religious language attached to it at all.
If you're keeping a running file of old offenses in a relationship that matters to you, this small proverb might be worth testing out.
A short video on this is coming soon — for now, read on.