"Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." How could anyone ever reach to the perfection of our heavenly Father, He who is the almighty creator, the One who is love, who is wisdom, who is everything? Jesus' challenge seems impossible for a human being to attain. For one thing, even the most blind of us is surely aware of our weaknesses and failures, the limitations of our human nature.

In this life we can strive for growth and development, to achieve our best in what we desire. And as we grow in grace, in the body of Christ, we believe we are being perfected in Him. But when do we become the 'perfect' person that our Father has planned, called or dreamed us to be when He first chose us?

Jesus' challenge or invitation is about a specific aspect of the Father's perfection, His love. It's an indiscriminate love, inclusive, making no distinctions between people. It doesn't depend on the reaction or response of those whom He loves so gratuitously.

Such perfect love is our challenge. We will achieve it when we see God face to face, but meanwhile we struggle to love as we are loved by Him.

Our hearts are made for love. This deepest, most mysterious of human emotions and feelings shows itself in various ways, and with imperfections, blind-spots, barriers sometimes.