Seeing the Kingdom of God in imperfect form...

I am something of a perfectionist... Well to be honest I am an idealistic perfectionist!  I often don't do things if I don't think they'll work as they should.  I will hold back on decisions or actions if I think that they may not be perfect.

Today I sat with a friend in my office.  He is a minister of a struggling Church here in Cape Town.  He shared with great passion his love for his people, and his commitment to his ministry.  Yet, the truth is that not everything is perfect.  After he left I thought quite a bit about imperfect Churches...  And imperfect Christians (like myself).  

I know that excellence in ministry is a high ideal!  It is to be praised and celebrated where it can be found.  But maybe, just perhaps, God does not need perfection to work!?  Well, that's no maybe!  God can work through imperfection!

This little quite inspired me.

People must not only hear about the kingdom of God, but must see it in actual operation, on a small scale perhaps and in imperfect form, but a real demonstration nevertheless.

- Pandita Ramabai Indian Christian and reformer

I guess the point is that one should strive for perfection, but act anyway, because God may just use imperfection to display God's gracious Kingdom.