SPIRITUAL IMAGERY OF KINTSUGI ART

I encountered a post on a Facebook page of a dear friend. It featured a bowl (see right). The image was accompanied with the following note:

"This is the Japanese art of Kintsugi. It is the process of repairing broken pottery with gold or silver in order to highlight the value of an object rather then disposing of it because of its breaks and cracks. 

To repair an object rather than allowing its service to end at the time of its damage or breakage.

The application of the precious metal not only increases the value of the piece but adds to its unique beauty displayed through its imperfections. 

Isn't God Good! His effect on our lives is the same. It is to always add value to us and to display the beauty of who we are because of what He has brought us through rather then to remove the remembrance of it at all - no matter how painful it was initially.

The addition of His heavenly elements to our broken places makes each of us uniquely beautiful and irreplaceable. 

Thank you Lord, You make all things Beautiful in time .. Even from the ashes comes the Crown." 

There is such profound spiritual imagery here -- particularly for those with broken bodies, broken hearts or broken minds. Still, Christ is the light of the world who can touch even the deepest sorrow and pain. Although written in a different context, and I've referred to it before, I am reminded of a beautiful song written by Leonard Cohen called Anthem. It carries the lines that seem appropriate to this blog entry. 

"You can add up the parts, you won't have the sum,

You can strike up the march, there is no drum,

Every heart, every heart to love will come,

But like a refugee. 

Ring the bells that still can ring,

Forget your perfect offering, 

There is a crack, a crack in everything,

That's how the Light gets in."

[See Leonard Cohen's song Anthem at link below, or here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDTph7mer3I ]