My husband, Ken Takeshi Tada, is sansei—meaning he’s third-generation Japanese born in America. Even though Ken is as American as they come, a real man’s man who loves football and fly fishing, his heart is rooted in the Japanese culture.
If we’re in another town and looking for a restaurant, Ken will ask me to Google a sushi house. He loves onigiri, sushi, sunanomo, and sukiyaki. No matter how cold it is, you will always find him in his flip-flops. He loves talking about his family history.
Recently, he told me about the art of kintsugi, a Japanese method of repairing broken pottery.
For kintsugi, a Japanese artist will mix a special lacquer of either gold or silver to adhere together the pieces of a shattered ceramic jar. It is artfully executed and the viewer is able to see all the broken places. The cracks are filled with a shiny gold bonding agent, creating a stunning work of art. The irregular crack lines, now accented in gold or silver, give the ceramic pottery an elegant look.
The humble jar is much lovelier than it was before its injury. The philosophy behind the technique is to recognize the fact that the object was broken, and to visibly incorporate the repair into an entirely new piece instead of disguising the brokenness. I love that. The potter doesn’t want to conceal the injury; instead, he showcases it in stunning gold or silver.
God does kintsugi on His people all the time. When your life is shattered by a painful tribulation or deep disappointment, the sense of loss and the feeling that “things will never be the same” can be demoralizing. You are tempted to think that even if God does piece things together, it will be far less satisfying than before the injury. Not so at all! God is the Master when it comes to kintsugi, and He will “put you back together” in a way that is far more beautiful than before.
Rather than conceal the damage done, God accentuates the gold of His grace through the broken pieces of your life. It’s a way of highlighting His glorious handiwork in you, so that people can’t help but admire the elegance of His grace in your life. Kintsugi is what Romans 8:28 is all about: “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.”
This lesson in Japanese art is meant to inspire you if you feel your life has been shattered by a heartbreaking trial. Trust the Lord with the broken pieces, have confidence in His healing grace, and take hold of Romans 8:28. If you need any more reminders, just google “kintsugi” and get a glimpse of what the Lord has in mind for the shattered pieces of your life. Don’t you agree that the brokenness has miraculously been made beautiful?
