Wholeness not Shame

In Matthew 5, we are called to be perfect as our Heavenly Parent is perfect.

A better, more full translation is to be whole, as our Heavenly Parent is whole.

The word perfect comes from the Latin that means to do thoroughly.

In this section of scripture, Jesus is teaching us how to be congruent: for our inner and outer lives to be integrated.   We are called to be thoroughly integrated.  This is maturity, completion, "perfection": wholeness.  So much of our time is lost on managing our spiritual shame that we are not perfect.

Spiritual shame seeps into hearts like cancer, growing wildly and consuming us from the inside out.  Spiritual shame constantly undermines the work of the Spirit by trying to convince us that our weakness is a sign of cowardice and our vulnerability a sign of failure.  Instead, weakness and vulnerability is place in which we encounter God: it's the place of catalyst in us where incongruency, sin, and pain is transformed.  Spiritual shame tells us we aren't good enough and that we must do more and try harder.  The Spirit of God invites us to embrace our weakness and vulnerability as our need for God: and this is always our beginning point.  It is our daily beginning point.

Wholeness is the journey of becoming more human, not to become divine.  Jesus did not call us to turn into gods, but into humans--consecrated to God, abandoned to the Divine and Holy Spirit.

"We human beings are to be human--to be perfectly human, not indefectible or impeccable or faultless or superhuman, but complete, right with integrity undivided".  --Madeleine L'Engle

Today, I find myself weak and vulnerable (like most days).  I can think of a list of imperfections a mile long.  But, oh, the grace of releasing the Strive for Perfection and embracing the Peace of Wholeness.  Our weakness is a catalyst of wholeness and transformation in our lives.  I begin here: weak and in need of God, being made whole.