The Beauty of Brokenness is the message of Holy Communion. The Beauty Brokenness is the promise of our salvation. The Beauty of Brokenness reminds me that nothing in my life is beyond the reach of Christ. This leads me to affirm three things in my faith:
#1 Like a Japanese Kintsugi artist, Jesus looks for broken pieces. He knows things can be made right and does not discard the work… His work – my life. It’s tempting for potters to devalue the work and so easy to say, “I can make another.” I am intrigued with the idea of Kintsugi which says, “There is no wasted pottery.” Things can be made right. I have been repaired. I need not worry, for one minute, about how I was broken or broken I am.
#2 Because the artist works from real broken pottery, there will never be two that are alike. That’s stunning, when Christ repairs my broken pieces, I am unique. There is not another one like me! Often, I wonder how I measure up compared to others. Am I doing enough? Do I pray well enough? Do I give enough? The art of Kintsugi helps me realize I was created unique – no one has my DNA or my fingerprints. God does not create ‘Cookie cutter Christians.’ He wants me just as I am and He will repair and make me… uniquely whole.
#3 When a piece of pottery falls to the floor, or cracks apart in the kiln, a Kintsugi artist carefully collects the pieces, one piece at a time. Being painstakingly precise, and with deliberate intent an amazing transformation occurs… the $10 piece of pottery turns into a priceless work of art. God takes my life and turns the hurt, pain, and wrong choices into a work of art, a one-of-a-kind treasure.
#4 If Kintsugi is so valuable, why don’t pottery owners deliberately break their work? Because the filler that’s used to repair the piece is pure gold. The cost is too high. Only God can afford to repair broken pieces! A Christian becomes unique because of a truly unique act. God sent His son to die for me. My mistakes do not limit Him. No other religion has ever made this claim. The life of pure gold is His investment in me.
The pain of cracking apart or unraveling invites me to come to Christ. When my life has cracking apart, Christ collects the pieces and pushes them back together. He could have used duct tape. He chose pure gold.
It’s hard to get past the hurt. Broken relationship, betrayal of a friend, the loss of a job, or a catastrophic failure in my family are the stuff Christ’s made for. But as I think about it, I am reminded that His work is finished, nothing is irreparable, everything has been forgiven and forgotten. He has already died and will not die again. He paid it forward for me.
Christ died for me; I have no right to question it. When I dredge up dark memories and wonder if I’m good enough, I question God. And, who am I to question God? I am offered HIS gold filling ability in my life. Amazingly, I can sit here today and say Thank you God for broken pieces.
Pastor Bill