Introduction Life has a way of breaking us. We've all experienced moments when we feel shattered, like everything we thought we could rely on has crumbled, and we're left trying to pick up the pieces. It's easy to feel hopeless in those times, …
By Writing & Photography by David K. Carpenter on September 8, 2024
Introduction
Life has a way of breaking us. We've all experienced moments when we feel shattered, like everything we thought we could rely on has crumbled, and we're left trying to pick up the pieces. It's easy to feel hopeless in those times, like nothing will ever be the same. But the good news is, God has a way of putting us back together—often in ways that make us even stronger, even more beautiful, than we were before.
Recently, I've been reflecting on this truth through the lens of an ancient Japanese art form called Kintsugi. Kintsugi means "golden joinery" or "to patch with gold." It's a centuries-old practice that originated in Japan when a shogun sent his broken teacup to be repaired. The craftsman used lacquer mixed with powdered gold to fill in the cracks, and the cup was returned to the shogun not as a piece of pottery that was now "good as new," but as something even more beautiful and valuable because of the brokenness it had endured.
Cracks as Part of Your Story
This is how God works in our lives. When we feel shattered and beyond repair, He picks up the pieces and puts us back together. And just like in Kintsugi, God doesn't try to hide our brokenness; He uses it to reveal His glory. The cracks in our lives are not flaws to be ashamed of—they become part of our story. In today's world, Kintsugi has become a powerful metaphor for resilience, healing, and finding beauty in imperfection.
This beautiful art form inspired a poem I wrote, Through the Cracks, which speaks to the way God works in our lives, especially when we feel like we've hit rock bottom.
Through the Cracks
Life happened and I Crashed to earth, Shattered into 1000 pieces. I was scattered, done. Hope departed.
But God. You Found me, gathered up All the pieces, Or most of them. With golden glue You Put me back Almost together. Not perfect, but Better than before.
There are cracks, we both know. But that's OK— You have poured Your Light into me, and now It leaks out of me Through the cracks.
The best part is, Each time life shatters me, You golden-glue me back Almost together, and There is more gold and There are more cracks than before. I'm worth even more Each time—more of Your Light sparkles out of me, Into the darkness.
And in the little Space around me, it's Not dark anymore, Thanks to Your Light in me, And the cracks letting it out.
David K. Carpenter
Just like the process of Kintsugi, God doesn't promise that our lives will be free of cracks or breaks. Instead, He promises to meet us in the brokenness, gathering the pieces of our lives that feel scattered and beyond repair. The beauty is that He doesn't just restore us to what we were—He makes us better than before. The cracks we have, once filled with the golden glue of His grace, become a testimony of His work in us.
The Apostle Paul writes about this paradox of strength in weakness:
But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
In our weakest moments, when we feel the most broken, God's grace is at its strongest. It fills the cracks in our lives like the gold in Kintsugi repairs, making us even more valuable in the process. Our cracks allow God's light to shine through us into the lives of others, turning our pain into a beacon of hope.
The Light Leaks Through the Cracks
The poem also speaks to the way Jesus Himself, the Light of the World (John 8:12), shines through the cracks in our lives. Jesus told us in His Sermon on the Mount:
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
When we try to hide our brokenness, it's like trying to cover up the light that God has poured into us. But when we allow our stories—cracks and all—to be seen, God's light shines through us in powerful ways.
Paul reminds us that God works all things together for good, even the brokenness and pain we experience:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
It's in our moments of vulnerability and authenticity that others can see the work God has done in our lives. We allow others to learn from the pain we've endured, which is one of many ways God redeems our suffering. Just as the gold in the Kintsugi piece draws the eye to the cracks, the grace and light of God in us draw people to His love.
More Beautiful, More Valuable
Each time we are broken, God doesn't discard us. He carefully gathers the pieces and, with His golden grace, He restores us. As the poem says, "there is more gold and there are more cracks than before." Each time we are put back together, we are more beautiful, more valuable, because more of God's light shines through us. Our experiences, especially our suffering, become opportunities for us to reflect God's goodness and His presence in our lives.
And just like a Kintsugi piece, our worth doesn't come from being flawless. It comes from the story of our brokenness and God's redemption. Every crack tells the story of God's faithfulness and how He has made us whole, time and time again.
Conclusion: Embracing the Cracks
If you're feeling broken, like the pieces of your life have scattered in all directions, I encourage you to remember that God is the ultimate craftsman. He sees every piece and knows how to fit them together in a way that reveals His glory in your life. The cracks you see as flaws are places where His light can shine the brightest.
So the next time life shatters you, remember that God isn't finished. He will gather the pieces, apply His golden glue, and make you better than before. And through the cracks, His light will shine in ways that not only heal you but also illuminate the world around you.
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