That we must live with imperfections is a fact of life that cannot be denied. We must come to terms with the silent and perennial truth that the field of human life will always consist of the good, the bad and the ugly coexisting together.
There is no perfect place, person, or thing. We know this do we not? I have visited many beautiful places in my life and discovered, sometimes to my own amazement, that there was also the not so pretty hidden behind the lovely scenery. In every metropolis there is, cleverly disguised perhaps, the garden of weeds.
There is no perfect thing. Regardless of how lovely it may appear and like the diamond seem flawless; but under microscopic scrutiny flaws are detected nevertheless.
And certainly, there is no perfect person. We all have some good to offer, but intermixed with the good is the bad and the ugly. In every situation we contribute wheat, but we know that we also contribute thistles. We know this and yet we seem bent on expecting perfection in ourselves and others. Finding the ugly and unpleasant mixed in with the wheat is an everyday experience and each of us has to deal with the inherent difficulties involved.
In every area of life there is and always will be, the good, the bad and the ugly. In every church, synagogue, mosque, company, corporation, agency, organization, home, school and any other place where people gather, we will find the good, the bad and the ugly.
One of the things that I always encouraged of new converts and new members that joined our church was to face the reality of what it meant to be a church member. Ideals of coming to a place where everything was nice and tidy and holy and everybody was sweet and kind and pious painfully gave way to the reality of the good, the bad and the ugly. There are people in church who behave ugly and do not reflect the virtues one would expect to encounter in God's house of prayer. Even within the sacred walls of divinity we encounter the same good, bad and ugly we meet in our everyday lives.
Not only do we live with and intermingle with both the wheat and the thistles but they exist within each of us. Collectively and individually, we are capable of heart-touching kindness towards one another as well as heart wrenching evil. We are capable of building up and capable of tearing down, capable of great love and capable of seething hatred, capable of horrendous evil as well as remarkable good. Jesus reminds us that wheat and weeds will grow together until the harvest.
Understand though, that God is not mocked; weeds do not go unnoticed. God knows where they all are. At harvest time, the wheat will be separated from the weeds. Until then, we trust in God, accept life on its own terms and wait for the harvest.
Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.
It is within us to... Read More
The 'As Above, So Below' law that is the combination... Read More
In today's world we worry about everything, food, jobs, clothing,... Read More
Talked to an interesting person today at a coffee shop,... Read More
I am not saying this because I am in need,... Read More
As a Coach and Psychotherapist I have found that the... Read More
I come face to face with self whenever you come... Read More
Anyone who tells you that the path to self-actualization is... Read More
"If you can't dance with the devil You will never... Read More
We've all heard the saying, "You have to forgive, but... Read More
The Mystical Experience"The mysteries of life become lucid ? and... Read More
Are you facing some challenges in your life right now?... Read More
Am I dreaming? The sign outside the skyscraper reads: "Spiritual... Read More
I can see the cops coming! They're a good thousand... Read More
I would like to tell you the story of a... Read More
We desire to understand the world by giving names to... Read More
The magic of the tarot was obvious to me the... Read More
Most of us are familiar with the inner criticism and... Read More
On January 13th 1982 an Air Florida flight crashed off... Read More
I have held numerous teleconference workshops where I help individuals... Read More
How many of us rush blindly through our days, fall... Read More
One of the first issues people on the spiritual path... Read More
Be filled with the Spirit.? always giving thanks to God... Read More
Ecclesiasts 5:18 Then I realized that it is good and... Read More
Those of us, who are familiar with Apostle Paul's sermon... Read More
Being"You have taken yourself to be something that you are... Read More
As I sit here and ponder my existence my heart... Read More
INTRODUCTIONSpiritual affirmations are positive, statements of intention, that facilitate manifestation.... Read More
For we do not have a high priest who is... Read More
There is so much going on in the world around... Read More
An etheric body, also known as the aura, surrounds every... Read More
Do you spend your time working towards that "one day... Read More
... Read More
All of my life I had heard, read and sang... Read More
The essence of the Christian faith is the good news... Read More
We are apart of all that is, our consciousness spring... Read More
Most of us have heard talk or have read something... Read More
There is light at the end of the tunnel, but... Read More
You can think of your Animal Totems as imaginary guides... Read More
I have been counseling people on weight loss, exercise efficiency... Read More
The fundamental aim of spiritual study is to get facts... Read More
When do you pray?Prayer is the cornerstone of the Christian... Read More
Spending 'Quiet Time' with the LordFrom the beginning of my... Read More
The ultimate purpose of dreaming is to provide you with... Read More
What we think is what we are. Our lives are... Read More
I always thought Ecclesiastes was like Proverbs. That's probably because... Read More
As humans, we are the species that operate with symbols.... Read More
Spirit - All Around Us, All of Us, Every One... Read More
The magic of the tarot was obvious to me the... Read More
Catch the express or the super fast bullet train. If... Read More
Spirituality |