“Do not pronounce a man to be a drunkard although you may have seen him drunk, or an adulterer, because you know he has sinned; a single act does not stamp him forever.” – St. Francis de Sales
There are times when because of one sin, a person is condemned forever as though he could never do anything good anymore. Instead of seeing a person in the image of God, fully capable of repenting his wrongs and correcting his ways, we see his sins always before us, focusing on them as though they would always define who he is.
Where is love then when we choose to see what is evil instead of looking for what is good? Where is love when we brand a person forever for one fault, for one moment of weakness, which we all must have?
Let love find its way to see beyond what’s wrong, to look beyond what’s already in the past. Love looks forward, it hopes for the very best, it sees the beloved in his best light.
Love forgets what was wrong. It buries such things and covers them with kisses and understanding, allowing a new seed to sprout and grow. With constant care and compassion, it will grow ever more beautifully than ever before.
Love does not keep a record of wrongs… – 1 Cor. 13:5, GNT
The thing about hope is that it’s a positive force that shines the most when it’s dark. When everything’s going well, we hardly notice it’s there. But when things go against us, when our dreams fade and when we see no immediate reprieve from our troubles, that’s when hope does its best work for us.
"Where Hope Can Be Found"