Broken… Again

Eight years ago at church we ran a series called ‘Broken’. The invitation publicity read:

‘We live as broken people in a broken world. There are no rules for or exemptions from brokenness. We are all randomly affected. The best, the strongest and the most confident can be broken. And yet the Christian Gospel is one of wholeness, of Shalom, that can come to that place of that brokenness.’

We talked about broken relationships, broken bodies, broken minds, broken worship… People told their stories…

I’ve been reminded of ‘Broken’ this week… meeting folks with real problems in their lives… depression and financial challenges… husband in hospital forty miles away… a messy divorce… If they’re not broken, cracks are certainly evident.

On one occasion Abi told her story; stuff in her life that had caused her to be broken. She talked about Kintsugi, the Japanese art form that takes broken pottery and joins it back together with gold. The broken pot that would be considered worthless and thrown away becomes more beautiful and valuable than it was before.

Abi explained how past life-breakages don’t need to be hidden, but rather enhance and give character to the life-pot.

A couple who attended bought each other a kintsugi pot to remind them that previous brokenness doesn’t need to be hidden; they are now mended and more beautiful.

This morning I read the Bible-story of Ruth. It’s the story of a woman who experiences bereavement, homelessness and aloneness… who learns about faith from her mother-in-law… whose brokenness becomes beautiful.

I remembered Jesus mission… ‘to proclaim good news to the poor… to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, and release from darkness for the prisoners.’

I met Abi this morning. We talked about families going through tough stuff in their lives; broken folks who have been broken again. We wondered whether, if a kintsugi pot gets smashed, it can be mended again to become more valuable and more beautiful… I’m sure it can.