The Repair Shop

People bring broken items to The Repair Shop – a seat-less chair, a one-legged teddy, a silent harmonium, a motionless clock… Each a treasured family possession for many years, but no longer looking or functioning as it should.

Objects are left with the team of experts. They get to work, demonstrating their skills, working together, explaining their techniques… The damaged is repaired, broken pieces are put back together, the faded and dirty becomes beautiful, the useless becomes useful.

Finally owners are re-united with their treasured possessions – often emotional for both owner and expert.

I had two Repair Shop moments yesterday:

David told me of a boat he had received as a young boy – in pieces, in a box. He lovingly restored it and sailed it in the sea. After many years in his loft he has given it to a friend. 70 years later it is to be restored again.

Adam spent many years addicted to drugs and in prison. He has got his life back in order, and is drug-free. He works helping and supporting the recovery of other ex-addicts. Yesterday he heard that he had passed his maths exam; he can now start his nursing training in Norwich in September.

Story-summary, Sermon-outline

…Jesus heals a woman:

• Discrimination: The woman is outcast, unclean physically and spiritually.
• Desperation: Sick for 12 years, she has tried all cures and spent all of her money
• Determination: She has a bold plan; she is determined – and healed!
• Demonstration: Jesus calls her out. She confesses. Her secret becomes public.
• Daughter: Jesus calls her ‘daughter’. The outcast, nameless woman is restored and repaired

The Repair Shop’s mission: to “resurrect, revive and rejuvenate treasured possessions and irreplaceable pieces of family history…”

I watch friendship and cooperation, the skill of experts, hope realised, objects and people transformed. I leave The Repair Shop feeling personally repaired.

Reference: The Repair Shop is on BBC 1 on Thursdays at the moment; the story of ‘The Woman with Constant Bleeding’ I read yesterday in Mark 5:25-34