"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
After giving a summary of sinful traits we are to put away, Paul provides a list of attitudes for us to “put on”—the chief one being love. Love is an essential attitude frequently described and commanded throughout scripture because, as Paul explains, it harmoniously binds the other virtues together.
The apostle John declares “God is love” (I John 4:8) and claims that anyone who does not love does not know God. This does not mean that when we fail to love as we ought that we are not God’s. We cannot be perfect. It does mean that we are called to love in the way God does so that we as Christians may remain united when we do fail because “love covers over a multitude of sins” (I Peter 4:8).
Not only does love hold together all the virtues we are called to possess, but it beautifully unites the Church as a body in the same way.