Friday 12 June 2009

Background

Consider this story:

A water-bearer carries two large pots on a yoke acrosshis shoulders up the hill from the river to his master's house eachday. One of the pots has a crack in it and leaks half its water outeach day before arriving at the house. The other pot is perfect andalways delivers a full portion of water after the long walk fromthe river.

For two years this went on each day, with the water-bearer bringinghome only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect potwas proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot wasashamed of its own imperfection.

Finally, after all this time of feeling guilty and miserable, thecracked pot apologises to the water-bearer and says, "I'm sorrythat I couldn't accomplish what the perfect pot did."

The water-bearer replied, "What do you have to apologisefor?"

"After all this time," says the pot, "I still only deliver half myload of water. I make more work for you because of my flaw."

The water-bearer smiled. "Have you not noticed that there are onlyflowers on your side of the path? I have always known about yourflaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and everyday while we walk back to the house, you water them."

This week, we are addressing the theme of being a 'newcreation'. But in what sense are our own flaws and our own 'cracks'part of the new order? The new dispensation? This passage from 2Corinthians teaches us that they are used by God as an essentialpart of the new creation. And there is a wonderful resurrectionprecedent for this. Jesus, the risen Lord, appeared to hisdisciples bearing the marks of impairment and the disciples saw thewounds inflicted on the Cross on his hands and hisside.

No one need be concerned that they aren't good enough to bepart of God's story, because the good news is that we don't have tobe amazing. God is amazing and we need to let God's light shinethrough our weaknesses.

To Ponder

'The cracks let the light in.' In what ways doyou allow God to speak to you through your brokenness?

What are the cracks we see in wider society? Howcan we let God's light in? Or how can we discern God's light thatis already coming through?

As we share in Christ - through our ownwoundedness - how can we be part of the transformation ofothers?