Broken Into Beautiful

The Japanese have a centuries-old art form called Kintsugi in which broken pottery is put back together, but instead of being rejoined with a camouflaged adhesive, a special tree sap lacquer dusted with powdered gold, silver or platinum is used to fill the cracks.  This unique repair method celebrates each artifact's unique history by emphasizing its breaks instead of hiding or disguising them. Kintsugi often makes the repaired piece even more beautiful and valuable than the original.  

The popular Christian song Broken Into Beautiful http://www.songlyrics.com/karen-peck-and-new-river/broken-into-beautiful-lyrics/  by Karen Peck and New River, gives the same idea, but in reference to the work of Jesus the Savior.  It contains these words:

if you change worthless into precious
guilty to forgiven
hungry into satisfied
empty into full
and all their lives are shattered
and we believe we matter
when you change broken into beautiful

When it comes down to it, no matter who we are, we are broken people in one way or another.  The putting back together is the work of grace that Jesus the Savior can do in us if we choose to open the doors of our hearts to him.  How might we be of greater value when having been broken, we're put back together by Jesus?

• This putting back together is the work of the Savior, making us new creations.
• Having experienced brokenness in ourselves puts us in touch with others' brokenness.
• Being broken, then restored, gives hope to others who are broken or facing brokenness.
• Admitting brokenness is an act of faith because it frees us to trust our brokenness to Jesus for healing. 

I wonder if we believers were more willing to be seen as Kintsugi-like pottery by the world we say we want to reach, that we would see more non-believers welcome the Savior Jesus into their lives too.