Perfection, and a new translation of Romans 12:2
On the first evening of the Young Adult Friends Conference this weekend here at Earlham, in Richmond, Indiana, I heard a lot of messages about perfection. The scriptural passage that was offered as a theme for the weekend was Romans 12:2:
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect. (NRSV)
This, in connection with the words and songs of other Friends, brought to mind yet again the way in which my mother and step-father embrace each other’s foibles and call each other perfect.
At Bible Study the next morning, we were invited to settle into worship and, with the Spirit as our guide, re-translate Romans 12:2 into our own language. Here is my re-translation:
Don’t just react to the world around you, or blindly adopt the norms and behaviors of others. Instead, look into your circumstances for their perfection, and embrace it, knowing that, in the same way, God sees you as perfect and holds you – has always held you, will always hold you. Know the world, yourself, and God in this way, be transformed, and act with awareness of Divine Love.
This, of course, was echoed beautifully by the message Katie Terrell brought to our semi-programmed worship immediately afterward. She had been asked by our Conference Planning Committee to speak that morning, and had of course been absent from Bible Study while she prepared herself to be a faithful witness to the Presence among us.
May 28th, 2008 at 03:54
Thank you Gavin for your beauty, inside, outside and through your words. Once again I am blessed by having heard your mother and step-father’s story, by your hugs and simply meeting you. Peace be with you.