I often will tease people when they ask me about a mistake I might make by saying, “I gave up being perfect for Lent”. We have a laugh and then I usually take responsibility for whatever mistake I may have made. Now, notice I said usually but not always. I truly am not perfect and I do, indeed, have an ego.
I got to thinking about this joke I make about myself and now I wonder, did I really miss the point? Or have I been capturing the true meaning of Lent and not realized it? I cannot be perfect that is for sure. But what if it really is true that we should give up those false ideas of who we are or who we can be?
I am hardest on myself and am willing to bet you are too. Have you ever thought, “if you really knew me, you would not like me as much”. It is actually a form of shaming ourselves when we decide we should be better, smarter, kinder…..anything(er) than who we actually are. That self-image is the ego or as Thomas Merton might say, the false self. This happens when we see ourselves differently than how God sees us.
We are not called to be perfect but to love. Whoever you are right now is good enough. You do not have to “get better” or “be better” than you are in this second. You do not have to repent, you do not have to be saintly, you do not have to Be anything. You see the Creator of All loves you at this moment and every moment, as is. I once thought it would be a great name, the ASIS church. All sinners into saints church.
You know that it is true. All of us sinners are being (or can be) turned into saints. Some are slower at it than others but love from God moves us into that direction. There used to be a bumper sticker that said, God ain’t finished with me yet! I surely hope not, because I really did give up being perfect for Lent. And so should you!
How about this? Be who you are right this minute. Don’t try to get better or be better, just be. Seems outrageous doesn’t it? Seems egotistical to think you and I are good enough. Too often we have heard from the pulpit that we must “get right with God” and “stop sinning”. This is a lie. We are now and have always been “right with God.” And we cannot stop sinning (going our own way, going the way of our egos). So lets give all of that up and see and love ourselves as God does. Give up being perfect and just love who you are in God’s eyes.
TMM