Masterpieces of imperfection

Beauty and value are in the eye of the beholder. This is obviously subjective, but when the beholder is also the creator, they have the exclusive right to determine what the true value of something is. You and I, being intricately knit together by our creator, carry an inherent worth that is far beyond what we realize. After the splendor of stars and the heavens burst into the sky and the hidden depths of the oceans came to life out of God’s vivid imagination; when elephants and aardvarks and puppies and everything else were spoken into existence, God’s pièce de résistance arrived on the sixth day of his creative masterpiece. “So God created man in his own image,……male and female he created them.” From humble beginnings tending a garden, Adam and Eve had within them something powerful and beautiful that nothing else did. They were created in God’s image, blessed by Him, and given a responsibility to tend the earth in respect and humility. That is our heritage. Every last one of us regardless of any other factor retains the intrinsic and objective value of being created in the image of God, beautifully and wonderfully made. You are a work of art, perfectly formed and God has called you good. Even more miraculous is that I am, too! That hasn’t always been easy for me to believe, but I’ve come to learn that what God says about me is truer even than what I say about myself.

I probably don’t have to do much convincing for you to admit you aren’t perfect. Have you ever lied, broken rules, stole a cookie, exceeded the speed limit, gossiped about a friend, or been envious and discontent? If you say no, you’re actually guilty of lying to yourself and therefore you’ve lied. That’s kind a nasty little cycle, isn’t it? We’ve all “sinned”, which is to say we have missed the mark of perfection in life. Perhaps some more than others, but “perfect” doesn’t really have degrees of relativism. Something is either perfect or imperfect. Almost perfect isn’t perfect. Now, as we look around the world, we can sometimes start to compare our imperfection with someone else’s imperfection and decide we are less imperfect than they are, and ascribe a higher status or value to ourselves based on our perceived level of imperfection, but make no mistake; you are imperfect and so am I.

So how do we reconcile a standard of being absolutely perfect with what we know of our own imperfection, weakness, addiction, arrogance, or a million other ways our humanity shows up on a daily basis? The answer is that we don’t. There is simply nothing that you or I can do to reconcile ourselves, but it has been done on our behalf. That’s the good news about Jesus. It has nothing to do with being good enough, or should I say “less imperfect” than anyone else. God so loved you that he gave his son, Jesus, so if you believe in him you are declared to be perfect apart from anything you’ve done. It’s the great switcheroo. God, who is perfect, died for us. We, who are imperfect, are given life. Simply accepting that, believing that, is how we have been reconciled to God. I just have to ask myself, “How am I going to respond to that?”

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly. This is what we’re told that the LORD requires. Not sacrifices, offerings, payment, or labor. Love mercy by showing kindness to others regardless of if you think they deserve it or not. Walk humbly with God, knowing that you, too, are imperfect and yet have been loved unconditionally. And, do justice by caring for each other. Social justice is just that…..Doing justice towards society, for every other human being because they are created in the image of God, worthy to be loved, honored, and respected. This Easter season, as we celebrate the perfection of God that invaded the brokenness of our world in order to bring life and salvation to us all, let’s be quick to extend that same justice, mercy, and humility to all those around us as well.