Living Altars

Sometimes we have moments that mark our lives in a permanent way. These moments can be good or bad. I have been thinking about these moments a lot lately and how with Jesus in your life even the bad turns out good. His nature is to redeem things it is who He is so it occurred to me that even hard times are really just opportunities for Jesus to move on our behalf. It is an opportunity for us to be living altar. In the Old Testament many times when God met with someone and moved mightily in their lives they would build an altar as a sign of what God did. Often times these altars became a testimony they would share with others, including the next generation when they would pass by. I think often times I have gotten caught up in sharing about the victories in my life because I want others to see God’s glory. But the truth is the broken places in our life are much more powerful because it shows others hope. It is powerful when we allow God to use those things that were difficulties in our lives to extend hope to someone else who is in need. So often we are looking to have a facade of perfection or happiness and we miss the point that it is in our brokenness that the greatest things happen. In Japan there is a practice called Kintsugi where a piece of pottery that is broken is repaired using gold. This unique method celebrates each artifact’s unique history by emphasizing its fractures and breaks instead of hiding or disguising them. In fact, Kintsugi often makes the repaired piece even more beautiful than the original, revitalizing it with a new look and giving it a second life. When we allow God to reach into our hurts and redeem them we become like one of these pieces of pottery. Our value and beauty are greatly enhanced and we become a living altar for God’s love.