As someone who grew up in post-Soviet Armenia, I remember a time when our media was flooded with soap operas. One title, in particular, stayed with me: the Mexican telenovela The Rich Also Cry. I was too young to remember the plot, but the title never left me. The rich also cry!

The truth of that title was reaffirmed earlier this week when the world witnessed the unusual interaction between French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte. While we don’t know what really happened beyond media speculation, one thing became clear: even in the most sophisticated societies—even among the elite—unusual moments occur that are far from perfect.

We live in a culture that idealizes material wealth and everything associated with it. We tend to idolize picture-perfect dignitaries, celebrities, and their seemingly flawless lives, forgetting a simple truth: we are not perfect. Yes, difficult circumstances may expose our flaws more explicitly—but even in the best of conditions, our human shortcomings cannot be completely hidden. Indeed, behind the carefully curated pseudo-image, the rich also cry.

The message I want to share with you today is this: embrace your humanness with all its vulnerabilities, knowing that the nakedness of our nature cannot be hidden from God. We don’t have to “fake it until we make it,” because we are not perfect—and it’s okay to be imperfect. “He knows how we are formed; He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:14)

Therefore, let us not seek perfection in some imaginary utopia, but rather acknowledge life’s beauty in everyday struggles and human experiences that are real, raw, and unfiltered.