problematic virtues

Oddly enough, I suspect that for too many Christians the mental barrier to greater spiritual growth is what they call their "virtues". Whenever a Christian conveniently considers a personal flaw as a virtue, it's a blindness. How can someone start to improve without first recognizing the need for improvement? Ponder the possibilities...

• "I'm bold". But are you also impatient or foolhardy?
• "I'm truthful". But are you also attentive and wise about when and how to speak the truth?
• "I'm compassionate". But are you also respectful of others' autonomy?
• "I'm holy". But are you also contemptuous?
• "I'm visionary". But are you also willing to incorporate feedback?
• "I'm strong". But are you also distant?
• "I'm joyful". But are you also responsive to the pain around you?

These variant inclinations are just one reason for Christians to join together. Christians in a group can expose and smooth everyone's rough edges. And since not all strengths are appropriate at all times, they can cooperate to send the best person for each task. Even the difficulty of confronting and accepting Christians who are radically different from oneself provides a stage for exercising Christianity.

For instance, I'm aware that I have far to go. I struggle with the assumption that people who are typically courageous have tiny and limp imaginations. I think to myself, "If he, like I, had any creative inkling of what could go wrong or how extremely unpleasant it would be, he wouldn't have that rather blank facial expression of nonchalance." Then again, I was one of those children who couldn't watch monster movies without experiencing subsequent horrific phantasms that stealthily stalked me...