We aren’t called to perfection

Apparently I’m supposed to be upset over a corporate logo and a male cheerleader for an NFL team. I’m not sure why and honestly, I just don’t care about those things. Logos change all the time. As for the cheerleader story, I wonder how many of these NFL fans also cheer for college football teams that have male cheerleaders? No worries though, this is all just a distraction. Next week we’ll be told we’re supposed to be upset over something else. And then the following week, something else. And on it goes. The people who pull the strings have much incentive to manipulate emotions.

I saw an article about what is being sold is perfection. Dictators and tyrants sell perfection. They sell a vision of a perfect world under their leadership, where everything is awesome (insert Lego movie music here). Only it’s not. Mostly because if you have to force people into compliance, you are about as far away from perfection as you can be.

Isn’t that what’s really going on? The stupid arguments over things that don’t matter is about a desire for perfection. People want something the way they want it and anyone who objects is less than them.

The ICE raids and deportations are about perfection – making a country more “perfect” by eliminating and removing the imperfect people.

The National Guard troops and federalizing police in DC and probably other cities in order to criminalize the unhoused and institutionalize people is about making the country more “perfect” by eliminating and removing the imperfect people.

The redistricting battles going on are efforts to make the country more “perfect” as well. The rule allowing the proselytizing of federal employees at work is too. The cuts to Medicaid and SNAP are. The attack against DEI in colleges and business is as well.

It’s all about making the country more “perfect.” And those in charge are the one’s defining “perfect.” The essence of what they mean is anyone who is like them.

There’s a multitude of problems with this pursuit of “perfection” of course. It starts with a faulty premise – that we humans are supposed to be something more than who we are. That we are supposed to be perfect, which is really the same thing as saying god-like. But with all the twisted characteristics of divinity – complete control and power, universal knowing, wrath on those that disobey, etc.

This has been tried far too many times in human history. It never works out. It only causes pain and suffering. It leads to death and destruction. And it ultimately collapses under the weight of cruelty.

That’s because we have never been called to perfection.

Before anyone say “yes, but…” I’m fully aware of Matthew 5:48, which is often translated in English as: “You shall therefore be perfect, as your Father, Who is in Heaven, is perfect.” When you look at the Greek for perfect, you find the word is τέλειοι, the root of this word is τέλειος. It can certainly be translated as perfect. But a better translation is complete. Complete and perfect are not the same thing. Perfect means as good as it can be, without flaw, an ideal state. Complete means having all the parts. But something that is complete doesn’t have to be perfect. Do you see the difference?

And this is where the concept of shalom comes in. Shalom means complete or whole or enough. It doesn’t mean perfect. In the first creation story, God rests on the seventh day because God has done enough creating. God calls all the aspects of creation good, but never says they are perfect.

When we get to the other end of Scripture, we read Revelation 21 and 22 where there is a new heaven and a New Jerusalem that come out of heaven to the renewed creation so God can dwell with creation. And in the center of the city is the tree with leaves for the healing of the nations. Healing doesn’t bring perfection. It brings wholeness.

When Jesus rises from the dead, he still has the wounds from the crucifixion in his hands/wrists and feet/ankles. Resurrection doesn’t make his body perfect, but resurrection brings wholeness and completeness to Jesus purpose in the incarnation.

In the birth narrative, Jesus is born in less than perfect conditions. But everything that needs to happen does happen. In that way it is complete.

God isn’t interested in humanity or creation being perfect. We aren’t perfect. We can’t be perfect. Only God is perfect, by definition. We aren’t called to be more than human, to rise above our humanity. We aren’t called to be something more than what we were created to be. We aren’t called to leave our humanity behind in order to be worthy of being in the presence of God.

Instead, what we see over and over again in Scripture is God coming down to humanity and creation, not expecting us to rise up to God. God does this in the Garden of Eden. God shows up and wrestles Jacob. God shows up in Abram’s dreams as fire passing through sacrificed animals. God, as Jesus, takes on flesh, and is born in poverty, and dwells with humanity in creation.

God calls numerous imperfect people – prophets, leaders, kings, and more. He doesn’t call on them to be perfect. They have everything they need to carry out God’s call for them. In that sense, they are complete – there’s nothing more to add. But they aren’t perfect. Just look at Moses or David – very imperfect men who God calls.

We are complete, not perfect. Anyone who is selling you a picture of perfection is lying to you. Perfection, being in control, knowing, all eliminate the need for faith. Our hope isn’t in perfection – as if we need to be more than who we are. Our hope isn’t in a lie that tells us that we are not enough.

The world isn’t perfect. But it is good. And that is enough.

We are called to love our enemies. That’s not easy. And it’s not a call to perfection either. It’s a call to enoughness. How we do that will depend on each one of us. For some loving our enemies will mean being in conversation with them and doing acts of kindness for them. For some, that’s more than they can do. Loving our enemies sometimes means cutting them off so don’t take on their methods and become them.

We are called to care for those on the margins, to welcome the stranger, to feed people, to clothe people. It’s not about perfection – raising everyone to the highest rung of society where everyone is a millionaire without want. Nope. Complete means having enough.

We are called faithfulness. We are called to congruency – what we claim and what we do match up. Not perfectly, but enough. We aren’t going to get it right perfectly. We’re harder on ourselves than God is most of the time. Remember grace and mercy? Perfect doesn’t make room for those. Perfect doesn’t have room for forgiveness either.

While not a theological term, the aphorism applies – “don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.” When we do that, we put ourselves above God. If good was good enough God in the creation, then it should certainly be good enough for us too.

Perfection leads to hardened hearts, the ends justify the means, addiction to control, and being right is most important. That’s not godly at all. That’s the pursuit of perfection. And at its core is pride.

Complete leads right relationship with God, with others, and with the rest of creation. It won’t be perfect, but it will be good. Complete leads to being able to see your own humanity and the humanity of others. Complete leads to making peace with not being in control or knowing. Complete leads to letting go of being right and allows you to experience peace and wellness. Complete leads to an embrace of the way of peace and being at peace with yourself.

Be complete, not perfect.