Does Practice make Perfect?

Considerable conflict existed among “Jewish Christians” when John wrote his gospel (John 3:14-21). Jewish followers of Christ had to deal with the pain of being ejected from their synagogues as well as ostracized by their families and friends. The very foundation and center of their lives were gone. In a time when family and community were virtually the sole basis for identity, we can understand how difficult it was to be a follower of Jesus.

Extreme rejection from family, friends and the community at large often results in a pattern of negative thinking and a mindset that characterizes everyone as being either for or against us. Although Jesus' teachings may have helped followers to cultivate a new sense of identity, they were still banished from the elements of society that was “home.” 

Fast forwarding to our day and time, March 4, 2024 it's apparent that this duality of either for or against, prevails in virtually every aspect of our lives: family, religion and politics. Look how polarized our world is: Palestine/Israel; Ukraine; Immigration; Biden/Trump; Democrat/Republican. Just pick an area of contention and  we're hard pressed  to find any reasonable common ground; it's always either or.

When Jesus professes Gods’ unconditional love for the whole world, not either or, He affirms Nicodemus whoa as a faithful Jew and a Pharisee, has accepted Christ’s teachings, . 

It reminds us about the kind of courage that love requires from us. In John’s Gospel, faith is more than stating a set of beliefs or worshiping in the "right place." Faith, like becoming a musical virtuoso, requires ongoing practice. Faith is enriched over time with steadfast practice and with each “performance,” always moving toward perfection... but never quite attaining it.

I speak from experience when I say playing a musical instrument well is not like riding a bike; you just don’t sit down and play well because you once did before. Being committed and faithful leads to constant growth and development. We continually advance because we continue to practice out of love with no expectation or reward. It’s living in the moment and in the journey and not for an arbitrary outcome that may never be attained because perfection is not in ours. Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal; we are enriched along the way. Likewise. when we live our faith, we become our faith.

Addendum:
The last time we read Nicodemus in 2018 I wrote in the following in the Blog:

 I’ve been practicing my religion almost as long as I’ve practiced the piano. My piano is coming back slowly but not without effort. As for my faith, I’m still continually learning what it means to love God along the way. I’m still learning how to be open to myself so that the love of God can flow through me. I’m still learning to relate to the people around me with compassion, understanding, and kindness. And I hope that I never stop practicing Piano.

Well life has a way of intervening but today, six years later, the piano sits idle. However, I’m still learning and am grateful for the ability to reflect on the then and now in these pages. It’s not like riding a bike, is it? 

 And the river bank talks of the waters of March; It's the promise of life, it's the joy in your heart;

And the river bank talks of the waters of March;It's the end of all strain, it's the joy in your heart