Perfection

I was reading a novel on Dracula (don't ask why, I barely know myself) and the vampire said something intriguing: "You can never perfect being good. But you can perfect being evil. Why not strive for perfection?"

The funny thing is, he was right. There is no way we can perfect being good. Not that I'm about to go "be all I can be" in the evil sense. But it got me thinking: there really aren't a lot of people out there who are perfectly evil. Like, diabolically evil - heartless...calloused...and able to make a difference.

I mean, you're average criminal is justifying his actions in his head, even as he commits a crime. "I need the money." "He deserved it." Pure evil? That's another category entirely, that's "Because I could."

Then, the average criminal may feel some remorse. It may be because he got caught and is going to jail. It may be that he was waving the gun around, but never meant for it to go off. It maybe be that he fully repents. Pure evil? Even in jail continues to plot and plan.

I mean, these are the people who want to take over the world - the power hungry, those who don't mind who they step on on the way. People who only use other people - who never love, never respect, never care for anyone else.

I used to read Sherlock Holmes, and he had a similar phrase that always got me thinking. His arch-nemesis was one of those evil people, but smart. And he always said, "I have wondered what my life would look like if I had used my powers for evil instead of good..."

Striking!

Holmes is one of my favorite characters, someone I want to be like. Someone I admire, and I, too, have wondered on this statement. The truth is, I get his point. I get Dracula's point. If I wanted to really make something of myself, I could do wrong. I could throw myself into a complicated scheme to give me power and money. It would be a challenge. It would be fun. And, for someone like me, going criminal is no small step. If I were going to do something - I would want to do it well.

However, something Greater than evil has always kept me from looking down that path. I've looked down the path to power and greatness - the conventional path by the way - and I haven't always liked what I see. Even if I get there through good means, it looks so lonely.

And you know, what, Dracula was completely right when he said that it was impossible to perfect goodness. For humans anyway. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth trying for. In fact, by his logic, being good is more of the challenge, and isn't that what people like him, and Holmes, and I have always been about?

Now, in here somewhere comes the spiel on Grace. But I've learned, as of late, that no matter how hard I believe it, I cannot say it - I say it all wrong, or people don't understand...it's very unfortunate, because it has such great implications. Perfect Saving Grace. And, it's also a challenge. It's a challenge to accept it and not try to repay God with something else. It's a challenge to understand...it's obviously a challenge to explain.

So, anyway, Dracula - thanks for the offer, but I like being perfectly imperfect. And besides, in the end, Good always trumps Evil.