"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."

In Romans 12:9, Paul gets right to the heart of what it means to truly love. He’s not asking for a sugary, feel-good kind of love that just brushes aside wrongs and ills. Instead, he's calling for a love that is genuine, authentic—something you can rely on. This idea connects beautifully with the overarching themes of sincerity found throughout Scripture.

The challenge he presents—“Hate what is evil” and “cling to what is good”—highlights a fundamental choice that intersects with ethical living. It suggests that love isn't merely passive; it requires action—both in embracing what promotes goodness and rejecting the negativity surrounding us.

This heartfelt expression mirrors other parts of the Bible. Take, for instance, Proverbs 8:13, which speaks of “the fear of the Lord” being tied to hating evil—a similar balance of love and moral clarity.

Interestingly, the word "cling" (or "hold fast" in some translations) is akin to the Hebrew concept of "davad," which means to pursue, which brings to mind the idea of God's relentless pursuit of humanity's heart and wellness.

And as a bit of trivia, Romans 12 is essentially Paul’s call for a transformation of life that emphasizes unity and diversity within the body of believers—a radical idea in a world still often divided on various fronts, guiding us all towards a common good and deeper connections. It’s an elegant reminder that in being sincere in love, we also contribute to a much larger, benevolent whole!