Awakening to Wholeness is a series of prompts, reflections, and teachings about how holding the tension of opposites can help us to heal division and experience wholeness. If you feel moved to share your own reflections, we invite you to email us with the subject line “Wisdom of Opposites” or tag us on social media with #EHoPWisdomOfOpposites.
Within the religious canons of salvation theologies, our notions of salvation can be overly focused on ego-centered notions of perfection. “If I just say enough Hail Marys,” we might tell ourselves, or “If I do enough prostrations, then I will earn my way into heaven.” These ego-driven modalities emphasize perfection of our own effort, rather than the transformative efforts of the Holy One.
By contrast, when we learn to hold our fixed and limited notion of perfection in tension with the ongoingness of transformation, our awareness shifts to a more abundant locus of activity: the Hand of the Holy One guiding us, working within us and through us.
This tension between perfection and transformation has been ever-present in my lifelong dream to have a hobby farm and retreat center. The seed of this dream is over 20 years old, but the path to actually bring it to fruition has been slow and tedious.
In its fullness, I envision healthy animals living in harmony on the land. The plants and vegetables and trees grow easily and well. The people and families who come to live together get along and always behave appropriately. Visitors are inspired by what they see and choose an intentional lifestyle as well.
Imagine what would be missed if I had waited for perfection before even starting the journey toward these ideals. “Once we find the land, then we will design the house,” or “after we find the perfect people, then we will decide how we want to live,” or “only when the place and the people and the animals and plants are all in place will we then start to pray together.” Waiting for perfection prevents ongoing transformation.
If I had waited, I would not have been stretched by having things not go according to my plan. If I had waited, I would not have learned to persist in the face of obstacles. If I had waited, I wouldn’t have had to let go of my way in order to invite others in. If I had waited for perfection, I would not have come to know the wild abundance that breaks through my limited and small vision.
Perfectionistic, ego-centered tendencies run deep—both in our daily lives, and across the expanse of centuries of someday-I-will-get-there salvation theologies. May our practice of holding perfection in tension with transformation help to loosen the grip of stagnation and self-centeredness. May it shake up the dirt on our feet as we travel the pathways of transformation!
Contemplative Questions
We offer the following questions as prompts to help you reflect on the presence of opposites in your spiritual practice and your life.
- Where do you notice perfectionistic tendencies within yourself?
- When have you missed out on growth, learning, or abundance because of this focus on perfection? When has wild abundance broken through your own limited vision?
- How do you hold the tension between perfection and transformation in your spiritual practice or daily life?
Join the conversation! If you feel moved to share your reflections, we invite you to email us with the subject line “Wisdom of Opposites” or tag us on social media with #EHoPWisdomOfOpposites.
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