Is It Easier to Love the Perfect or the Flawed?
—Grace & Truth Linkup
I’ve never sung on national TV. Nor do I ever intend to.
But when I was watching American Idol a few weeks ago, I felt like I was on the stage myself.
The contestant Hunter Metts was singing along, doing a fine job, almost to the end of his song when…he forgot the words.
He was visibly distressed.
He stumbled through the song until it was over. And then he broke down.
He could hardly be comforted.
The three judges of Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan were all extremely gracious to him. They admitted their own mistakes through the years. They reassured him that it was normal, it was human, it was okay.
Watching Hunter stand there, in front of the world, so vulnerable, so sensitive, I couldn’t have loved him any more.
I felt incredibly connected to him in that moment. His humanity was mine, was ours. He was one of us.
I’m not sure why we fool ourselves that if we’re perfect, people will love us more.
It’s actually easier to love those more like us: flawed.
The lesson I learned from Hunter that night is that vulnerability is a gift. A gift given and a gift to receive.
I received that gift as I watched TV that night.
And I’m reminded to give the gift of my own vulnerability more often myself. (But it won’t be by singing on live TV!)
Flaws don’t have to ruin us. They just make us more human. And more connected.
Featured Post
Paula, our featured writer this week, lays herself bare in this post.
She shares her personal story with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. And her reluctance to make it public.
“I wanted to write this piece several months ago. I was anxious and wrestled with doing so.
I was afraid of what others would think or what people from long ago would think, those who knew me before I became a new creation in Christ.”
But Paula also shares the truths that Jesus says about her.
Visit Paula’s blog, Simply Coffee and Jesus, and find encouragement for yourself, as well as reasons to love Paula. Then link up your own blog posts below!
“May Is Mental Health Awareness Month; Do You Have A Story To Tell? Here’s Mine.”
Have you felt vulnerable lately? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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Thanks for the challenge, Lisa, (and Paula) to take my writing close to the bone when it’s for the good of my readers and the glory of God.
I saw that performance, too. And you’re right; it’s sharing our flaws that makes us more human and more approachable.
As an aside, there was a time on AI that the judges didn’t respond like that to mistakes (different judges). While there are times I feel this panel overdoes the positivity, I think it was definitely the right call on this one.
I love this, Lisa. I’m glad the judges were gracious. And Paula’s post is so good, too. Love and blessings to you!
Thanks for sharing that. When people share their vulnerabilities, it’s so much easier to identify and sympathize with them.
Poor guy! Reminded me of a performance I saw/heard of Ella Fitzgerald singing Mack the Knife. She forgot the words halfway through and just made them up. I suppose you can do that if you are a jazz singer. Huge applause and big laughs at the end.
You must have seen that TV chat show host brought almost to tears by Prince, who promised to play live on her show … if she sang.
Perhaps it is like Icarus — the striving and failing, the goal and the attempt and the flaw are all part of one package that makes the culpa so felix.
Ella forgets the words about 1:30 in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vXAtVbZbkI
Prince and Maria Bartiromo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbNkt9nv4Qw