Identifying perfection

     I have no idea whether anyone reads these or if they are just words floating in cyberspace- but I finally had a thought I felt worth trying to share.
     To set up the concept, I will share a couple of brief experiences. When we were preparing to sell the first home we owned (several decades ago), the decision was made that the outside needed to be a different color. It didn't need painting for maintenance, just to attempt to make it look more "attractive" to potential buyers. Money was spent that we couldn't really afford and precious hours spent to paint it all. Then.......... within a very short time after we sold it, the house was painted by the new owners a different color. So much for our idea of what was attractive.
     As we were out for our morning walk, we passed a new house under construction. Russ commented on the floor joists that were composites, not old-fashioned wood pieces. In discussing the pros and cons: firefighters have to work fast when newer buildings burn because the glue in the composite wood used burns much faster and hotter than even old, dried lumber, however, the old lumber often had irregularities like twists and knots and bends that made it more difficult to work with them and resulted in less "perfect" construction.
     I was pondering the definition of "perfection". Human ideas of perfection are defined by each individual- "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and are limited in creation. For instance, efforts to create the "ideal" flower or vegetable, usually result in sterile plants which may ship well or be a more attractive color or size or be resistant to insects or other damage, but can't reproduce themselves and often don't taste as good. Efforts to create animals through breeding often result in problems for the animals. Not only do the desirable traits get reproduces, but also the undesirable traits get carried on. Also, efforts to "clone" have all kinds of undesirable results. Admittedly, more time and further research may clear up some of these problems but what I have thought about is how we have such a long way to go to be as wise as God- the original CREATOR.
     Last century, a man named Adolf Hitler thought he knew the best way to clean up humanity resulting in a "superior race". He had an image in his mind of the "perfect" human. There were probably people who would agree with his image, then and even now. But I think the majority of people consider his idea of killing off all the "imperfect" humans to be barbaric. Recently there was a movie connected to the Marvel comic heroes about a being who thought it was worth destroying lives on multiple planets in an effort to avoid wars, diseases, and overcrowding. I can't help but consider the people I know personally who would be considered less than perfect because of physical, emotional, or mental disabilities or even less than "model" physical attributes. Russ has always wished he was taller. I have wishes I could be more petite. What is perfect and should we strive through surgery, makeup, cloning, or "weeding out"- pursue a more "perfect" human race??
     God knew when He created molecules and combined them with DNA to guide development that there would be great diversity- in all living things. There are living things that succumb to disease or injury thereby making them "less perfect" but there are also living things that are just the way they were originally slated to be. Are they mistakes? God doesn't think so. He chose to make everything so widely varied. He doesn't just love and accept the daisy with the "perfect" number and size petals or the sheep with the perfect wool or eyes or ears. He also doesn't just love those of His children who are lovely and kind and smart and capable and talented. Why do we feel that everything and everyone has to be so alike, so "ideal"? We might become much more like our Father in Heaven and His Son if we try harder to see the beauty in "imperfection". When Christ admonished us to be "perfect even as He is perfect", He wasn't referring to our size, shape, talents, or intellects. He wants us to be perfect in love- especially loving people no matter what they look like or can do or how they talk. Granted, He abhors evil. But people aren't inherently evil even if they sometimes choose evil words or actions. It's appropriate to dislike choices, just not people. We can defend ourselves when necessary, but not attack. We can prefer horses to cows or lilies to roses. We definitely should prefer good to evil.