There’s Perfection in Imperfection

None of us enjoy it when someone points out our weaknesses to us. Very few of us readily admit that we have weaknesses and imperfections — at least not just to anyone.

Even a cracked pot can be an instrument of perfection as Judith Turner illustrates by way of a fable

For the most we want to portray an image of togetherness and perfection and of being a good person—always. Somehow we think that once people know our imperfections, they will have some hold over us and therefore have some power over us.

This can alienate us from and sometimes completely blind us to our own imperfections, with the result that we fail to get to know our imperfections, and therefore, get to know and see ourselves as God sees us.

I love the story that follows because it points out to us that our imperfections do not turn us into failures. I agree with St Augustine who says that “finding out that we have imperfections is in itself a perfection”.

A waterbearer in India had two large pots, one hung on each end of a pole, which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it. While the other pot was perfect, and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to her master’s house.

The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, one day it spoke to the water bearer by the stream: “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologise to you.”

Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in her compassion she said: “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologised to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot: “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?

“That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them.

“For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, she would not have this beauty to grace her house.”

“God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31).