My daughter, aged 6-1/2, loves horses, so naturally she has a collection of stuffed ones (to enjoy until she gets a real one, she hopes). One or two of these go with her everywhere, though I've encouraged her to leave one in particular at home so as to keep it in good shape. Today, unfortunately, this pristine "paint" went along on an errand and, naturally, fell out of the car at first chance, onto the wet street. In an instant, its pure white "fur" was soiled with black sludge.
I told my daughter I would wash her horse, and it would be okay. But she looked at me sadly, regretfully: "It'll never be bright and clean again."
Indeed. It's a fact of life. Things don't stay new, unless one takes great pains to keep them unspoiled. And that's okay. Most things are made to be used, and used things generally get dirty, and wear out.
But, as my daughter spoke, and as I beheld her rueful eyes and the blackened stuffed animal, I thought of innocence, of things unspoiled, and of Cornelius' Plantinga, Jr.'s book, Not the Way It's Supposed to Be. Plantinga describes sin as something that has soiled a beautiful and perfect creation so that things are not the way they're supposed to be.
And I thought of all the things that are so wonderfully awe-inspiring when pure, and so spoiled, tainted, and ruined when not. I thought of all the broken things that, even when repaired, cannot be fully restored. Whether we pretend not to care, or not, and whether we try to console ourselves that they can be, or not, in reality these things can never again be what they were before they were broken: things like trust, and innocence. Things like bodies, and beautiful objects. Things like virginity. Sometimes, like relationships.
Of course, perfection is unattainable on this earth. But why do we long for the perfect -- the good, the true, and the beautiful -- if it can never be known? I believe it can, in the hereafter. But we needn't wait 'til then, or give up entirely, when it is in our power to preserve some purity on this earth, with God's help. We can still be redeemed and renewed, and pass this along to others. Though we won't be perfectly clean until we are with God forever, we'll be "okay," even more than okay. And that's better than okay -- it's good, and beautiful, and true.
