Perfect Imperfections

Imperfections are just perfect. Our imperfections are our uniqueness. We are what we are because of our perfect imperfections. Yet we live in a world where there is absolutely no space for imperfections. For instance check out the alternative expressions used for people with disability – ‘differently abled’, ‘special children’ etc. Nancy Eiesland was a professor at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She was born with a congenital bone defect, underwent numerous operations in her youth and experienced considerable pain as well as disability. Nancy in her book ‘The Disabled God’ opines;

Euphemisms for persons with disabilities have abounded in recent years, including ‘differently abled’……These people maintain that Euphemisms deny the fact that disabilities do exist and reinforce the idea that disabilities must be camouflaged to make them acceptable for public.

This tendency to sanitize certain ‘imperfect’ concepts through euphemisms itself gives the clarion call that there is absolutely no space for something which is not ‘perfect’.

Bible is a text that testifies the enviable vocation and God-experiences of imperfect people. Their imperfections were never impediments before God because the Divine definition of imperfections is not parochial like humans. To name a few; Gideon – a fearful man and a runt in his family; Moses – a stutterer; Elijah – a suicidal; Jonah – who eloped from God; Peter – who denied Jesus thrice; the twelve disciples – of dwindling faith and many more. God is not only confined to appreciating the imperfections of humans but also he moves further acknowledging the imperfections of animals as well. May we be reminded of the book of Numbers 22: 28 where the donkey of Balaam speaks out. This has been creatively presented by the blogger Afolabi O.J. in his work entitled ‘Talking Donkeys’

I am dumb, stupid, and lowly! I cannot talk, I only bray and that irritates everyone around me. But somehow, I did end up at the King's service conveying the words of the King! The truth is: I am no messenger of God, I am a donkey! So why would he put his words in my mouth? Yes I am a donkey, and I am popularly known as the talking donkey! What Balaam the great failed to see, I saw! What he did in fact fail to hear, I heard.

Our imperfections are not something to be ashamed of rather they are to be celebrated. When God showed the nobility to celebrate the imperfections of even an animal then why should humans dread to rejoice in their imperfections just because they do not fit into the shallow yardsticks prescribed by the elitist ‘Perfects’.?

A boy was having his debut singing performance. The audience was appreciably large. After each song there was a great shower of applause. However the boy’s eyes started to well up with tears. Finally he left the stage weeping profusely. His friends enquired the reason of his sorrow. The boy replied, “My guru was sitting at the last row. After each song of mine I looked into his eyes but there wasn’t even a ray of appreciation. It was too dry. So how could I resist my tears flowing?”

Our notions of imperfections may be absolutely perfect for God at the same time our suppositions of perfections may be sheer imperfection before God. Let God alone be the judge of perfections and imperfections.

Lizzie Velasquez is known as the ‘world’s ugliest woman.’ In 2006, the then high school student Lizzie was casually scrolling through You tube in search of a music video, when she stumbled across a clip that changed her life forever. “It was a video titled ‘the world’s ugliest woman,’ and it was a video of me,” she said. Suffering from a rare disorder known as Marfan Syndrome and Lipodystrophy, Lizzie is unable to put on weight. Lizzie, who lives in Austin Texas, weighs just 27.5kg and is one eye blind. Lizzie was heartbroken by the comments about her appearance. She says,

I sat there and read through the comments, and I was so desperate to find someone who had said something positive, but I didn’t. Some commented that I should do the world a favour and put a gun to my head, others asked why my parents didn’t abort me. One person even suggested that people will go blind from looking at me because of my ugliness. One even suggested my parents to kill me with fire.

Lizzie took these comments as challenges. Instead of letting the four million views and thousands of negative commenters win, she turned the haters into motivators. She remarks;

“Am I gonna let the people who called me a monster define me? No. I’m gonna let my goals and my success and my accomplishments be the things that define me.”

Lizzie is now a successful American motivational speaker, author and a You tuber. Lizzie’s imperfections were so beautifully strong that it shattered the fragile conceptions of perfections of the world.

Lent should be a time to celebrate our imperfections. Have the audacity to say ‘IDGAF’ to the people who mock at your imperfections. God assures us “My grace is sufficient for you for power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor 12: 9). Remember the words of Hellen Keller, an American author, political activist, and lecturer - the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree;

Be of good cheer. Do not think of today’s failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find a joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.

I conclude with a video

Let us pray

God of imperfections, bless us with the courage to celebrate our imperfections. As your Son was perfected through sufferings may we too gain impetus from our unpleasant experiences so as to leave our imprints of existence on this earth. For Christ’s sake we pray. Amen

Prayers

Dn. Basil Paul