Exposing Mythology Part 2: The Ideal Person

Who is it?

You know...the person you've been waiting for--who is it?

Where is that person? When are they getting here?

You know exactly what you'll do when they arrive. After all, you've spent years developing your theology--how to think about, how to love and how to care for him/her when they finally show up.

But are they ever going to get here?

Does that person even exist?

This is an excerpt from what has become an ongoing conversation with myself. The 'person' I am referring to, of course, doesn't exist. Oh, I will probably still be waiting around for him/her to show up--and I'll be ready when they do. But that person is a myth.

At this point you may be wondering what on earth I am talking about. Let me give you a few examples and descriptions of the ideal person(s) for whom I have waited, am waiting and will continue to wait:

The ideal homeless person: He shows up at a time when I have nothing better to do than help him with his problems. Fortunately for me he is kind, semi-clean looking, doesn't smell of body odor and doesn't have awkward social habits that make him uncomfortable to be around. What's even better about him is that his problems are easy to solve. All he needs is five dollars, and I have empirical proof that he will use it for bus fare. I give him the money, and he gives me a quick embrace--which I rather enjoy because he smells like soap, shampoo and lightly-fragranced moisturizer. Within two minutes of meeting him, he is on his way to the bus station. After he steps off the bus, he will get a job, rent an apartment and begin living a life that contributes to society--did I mention I have empirical proof for all of these things?

The ideal friend in crisis: This guy has had real problems lately. But, fortunately for him, he ran across my path today. In a matter of minutes, he describes an easily solvable problem. All I really have to do is give him a bit of the wisdom I have been storing up for this occasion. The situation isn't messy at all. I hardly even have to pay attention to solve the problem. He leaves--incredibly grateful for my wisdom, vowing to pay me back at a later date.

The ideal friend in sin: He is living in a way that is profoundly harmful to himself and others. Lucky for him, I enjoy confrontation--I don't even have to pray about it. There is nothing else on my calendar, so I go to his house and explain the error of his ways. He immediately affirms the factuality of what I've what I've noticed in his life. In a not-too-emotional kind of way, he quickly repents of the error of his ways and begins to live differently. He never again is tempted by the same sin and credits me with changing his life. The great part is that it only took ten minutes out of my day.

You get the idea. I'm sure everyone has people like these for whom they have been waiting. Today, we can be free to stop waiting--the ideal person is a myth. You are more likely to find a unicorn in your backyard than any of the three people I described above.

The world is full of messy people. When I say that, I don't mean that you can find a messy person in just about any city. I mean is that everyone is messy. Everyone. There are no people that escape the debilitating effects of the fall, much less its practical consequences. So what will I find if there are no ideal people?

The person in front of me. The person in front of you. At the Starbucks, in the grocery store, at church/school/work. Those people are real, and they need all of us to love as Jesus did regardless of the personal cost. Today I vow to stop looking for the unicorn in my backyard.