There are people who seem to believe spiritual life is about being perfect.
Some people work hard to keep their imperfections concealed, hidden from the rest of us. Some of us believe it is important for us to appear perfect, or at least exceed expectations. They think they look less spiritual the further they are from perfection.
I see spiritual life in a different light. It is not that I advertise my own imperfections, or those of other people. Spiritual life has more to do with accepting ourselves, and others, as we are than with being perfect.
Spiritual life is starkly realistic. The expectations and the concealing just get in the way of real spiritual life. We are not our truest selves when we are trying to hide. We are not able to learn and grow when we conceal our imperfection.
The people who inspire me practice their own imperfection. They practice recognizing and admitting they are not perfect in specific ways. Some people are able to appreciate and even celebrate their own imperfections, and those of others. Some people come to see expecting us to be perfect is a form of spiritual death, not spiritual life.
While we each have our own ideas about what being perfect means, there is a similarity to them. Much of the variety and diversity of life comes from our personal imperfections. We learn ever deeper lessons as we grow in appreciating our imperfections, and those of others.
Fortunately, spiritual life does not require us to be perfect. It draws us into its rhythm and balance, revealing us to ourselves as we are.
We practice being our true selves, in all our imperfection. Spiritual life fills us.
Who inspires you to practice imperfection today?
How will you practice imperfection this week?
[Image by andryn2006]
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