Matt 5:48: (NRSV) "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." What's interesting about that passage is that "perfect" is defined by the previous verses which speak quite clearly about God's generosity towards the unrighteous. We tend to define "perfection" as "how closely are events unfolding along the lines of my expectations of how things should be." The Sermon on the Mount understands the creator's brand of perfection as "how generous can I be towards those who don't deserve it". I wish we all had perfectionistic tendencies along the lines of the Father. :) pvk