Over the years, my parents have acquired more than a few sets of China. In addition to their own sets, acquired as wedding gifts and from their times living overseas, they also inherited several sets from their parents and other family members. Looking to downsize their collection a few years ago, they offered Anne & me one of my grandmother’s sets, just as we moved into our new home in 2019. We accepted it but with one important condition.
“Don’t get upset if we use the plates and bowls as we wish, throwing them in the dishwasher, and generally expecting to them to chip and break with regular use.” This was our condition, and my parents were eager to accept as to free up some much-desired closet space. Instead of worrying about the longevity of the China, we use it almost every day. It’s washed in the dishwasher and stacked with all the other casual wares in our cupboards.
Surprisingly, this has proven to be a real delight. Every time I pull a plate out of the cupboard, I can’t help but think of my grandma. My mother is the same way, smiling from ear to ear when she comes over for dinner, even on a random Tuesday night. And, the plates and bowls are starting to show it. The gold rims on the plates are fading. The bowls have more than a few chips along the edges. One of the serving bowls broke in the bottom of the sink. But the wear & tear is just more confirmation of the stories that have been created and carried by this set of China, now loved by four generations of my family.
The Japanese practice of kintsugi would mend all these storied imperfections, by filling in cracks and chips with gold or silver. It’s a wonderful metaphor for people of faith seeking to understand the tension of being both broken and beautiful. Kintsugi is a philosophy that values the eventual wear and imperfections of pottery and porcelain by employing mending techniques that celebrate an object’s history. Filling cracks and restoring function, the imperfect become treasured even more, just as God has promised for us.
What stories do the items in your cupboards and drawers tell? How might they reflect God’s love at work in your life? Whether mended or not, how do the cracks, chips, and imperfections tell the more complete story, the one to be treasured?
May God’s peace find you today. -Pastor Peter
Let us pray… God who makes perfect our imperfect, draw us closer to you. Fill our cracks and help us to celebrate the story of our lives, that we might properly reflect the love are care you have given us. Amen.