Love includes bearing, excusing and hiding others’ faults

One great lesson Jesus taught us is to avoid reacting to the wickedness of others. We cannot control the bad behavior in others but we can control our impulse to return evil for evil.

In Matthew’s gospel Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.'” (Matt. 5:38-45)

The following story entitled The Law of the Garbage Truck is a modern application of Jesus’ teaching.

“One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded and missed the other car by just inches. The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

“My driver just smiled and waved at the guy. He was really friendly. So I asked, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital.’

“The taxi driver then taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’ He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they will dump it on you.

“Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home or on the streets.

“Successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don’t. Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it.”

Another story brings out that same message.

“A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside. ‘That laundry is not very clean,’ she said. ‘She doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry detergent.’

“Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

“About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a beautiful clean wash on the line and said to her husband: ‘Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her.'”The husband said, ‘I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.’ So it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.”

St. John Vianney once said, “Love of our neighbor consists of three things: wanting the greater good of everyone, doing what good we can when we can, and bearing, excusing and hiding others’ faults.”