Luke 18: Making Something Good
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“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.”
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Yesterday we talked about the creative partnership between God and human beings in the Garden. It doesn't stop there. The works of our hands are also part of our spirituality.
That adds a lot of meaning, but it can also add a lot of pressure. How can you be sure it's good enough? When you put your whole heart into something it is easy to also put in your worries and your cares.
That is why Diné (Navajo) weavers always leave a hole or some flaw in their work. It takes away the stress of wondering if it will be perfect.
They already know: the answer is no.
The Diné say none is perfect but God. Letting go of perfection allows the weaver to relax and have a good spirit as she works. Other native craftspersons leave a “spirit path,” in their pottery—an imperfection in the glaze or pattern to let pride and other bad thoughts find their way out of the vessel.
Machines can weave rugs that are perfect every time. They are cheaper and faster to produce than weavings on hand looms. But they have no soul.
If you ever want to know if a Native craft item is authentic, just look to see if it is perfect. Machines make things that are perfect. People make things with an ingredient that machines can never match.
Love.
We're not perfect. The works of our hands are not perfect. The people who use them are not perfect either. But love covers a multitude of faults.
You don't have to be perfect to share love today. Love is always good enough.
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O God, your love is perfect.
That love is more than good enough for me.
Let all my anxieties fly away, and let my hands share love today.