I'm a Ragamuffin, you're a Ragamuffin, wouldn't you like to be a Ragamuffin too?

I am reading "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning. This passage struck me as I read it today.

You know, in spite of the fact that Christianity speaks of the cross, redemption, and sin, we're unwilling to admit failure in our own lives. Why? Partly because it's human nature's defense mechanism against its own inadequacies. But even more so, it's because of the successful image our culture demands of us. There are some real problems with projecting the perfect image. First of all, it's simply not true--we are not always happy, optimistic, in command. Second, projecting the flawless image keeps us from reaching people who feel we just wouldn't understand them. And third, even if we could live a life with no conflict, suffering, or mistakes, it would be a shallow existence. The Christian with depth is the person who has failed and who has learned to live with it.

There are so many times when I have tried to project the perfect image either at home or work or to a particular friend or acquaintance. That's why it's so hard for me when I do fail because the bigger my failure is, the harder it is to hide from people. I hope in time I can just let my guard down and be honest about who I am, where I've been, etc.