Kintsugi pottery ~ a new painting
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Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of repairing pottery that offers a metaphor for redemption. Pottery that is broken is mended with gold. This art becomes a story of re-creation that ultimately increases the piece's value and unique beauty.
Often we find God pursuing the places in our lives where we have experienced wounding, weakness, and failure: places where we have felt the need to hide, where uncomfortable emotions explode or simmer, where distrust and aloneness feels tangible or suffering is great. Maybe those are the places God is coming to mend, applying gold that will shimmer and speak of his glory.
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. 2 Corinthians 12:9
A New Painting
As I considered a new project this January, an idea began to emerge for a painting depicting a "Kintsugi Life," a collage of images that portrayed fragments mended by gold into a redeemed whole. The fragments are a result of our own sin or woundedness, the sin of others against us, ruptures in our relationships, and our suffering.
God reminded me of the account of Elijah's journey to the mountain of God after hardship, great success with God, threat to his life, fear, depression, depletion, and a sense of aloneness (1 kings 19). First God nourishes and provides rest for his body, preparing Elijah for the journey to meet with God, a retreat of sorts. When Elijah arrived at the mountain, he entered a cave and spent the night. And the word of the Lord came to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 1 Kings 19:11-13
And then God asked again, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
There are hardships in this broken and beautiful world. There are strong forces that shatter and tear apart (oppression, violence, abuse, deception, etc), there are powerful quakes that fragment, rupture, and shake stability (physical earthquakes, relational quakes, cultural quakes, etc), and there is fire that burns, sometimes destroying and sometimes refining. God is not in the destruction, but God is present to us, with us. And God is in the gentle whisper (the sound of sheer silence.) In this image I reflect on God's redemption, the repair and mending of the layers of brokenness. God brings light and healing throughout our journey in the midst of hardship.
When I first began working with this idea I was drawn to creating a line, a frame that held the fragments. We have all learned to narrate our stories in a particular way throughout our life's journey. Some of the messages we have believed and the way we narrate our story is rooted in truth and goodness and some of the ways we narrate our story need God's healing and redemption.
Scroll through the images to see the painting unfold.
The photo I worked with for the self-portrait in the painting was taken as I was praying one spring afternoon, surrendering some of the challenges in my life at that time. I was waiting for my daughter at Living Streams Ranch, so I walked out to the cross on the property to pray while I waited. I remember that moment before the cross when I could feel the warmth of the sun on my face and feel the wind on my skin, tangible metaphors for God's activity in our lives. I knew God was present. The path behind me held both darkness and light, as is often the case as we journey. But God was, and is, accomplishing his purposes in his time.
As I consider my own journey with God, I find this piece meaningful and hope filled. I initially painted the kintsugi lines where the fragments come together red. The deep dark red reflected the wounding that often takes place where there are broken edges. But those red lines are becoming gold as God brings healing and wholeness (Philippians 1:6). God is transforming my own suffering, brokenness, and sinfulness with mercy, redemption, and healing. And God's redemptive, healing love is pursuing you too.
I will be starting another painting with the same themes that is not a self-portrait but reflective of each person's Kintsugi Life. And perhaps there will be a prayer worksheet and a retreat in the future.
What are the fragments of my life? Is there an invitation to deeper surrender?
How can I be responsive to God's mending and participate in my Kintsugi Life?
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