The prophet Isaiah speaks of reconciliation in terms of repairing the breach. Such work is done by loosing the bonds of injustice, letting the oppressed go free, sharing bread with the hungry, housing the homeless poor, clothing the naked. We notice how this work goes right into the brokenness of our lives and world. Only then, Isaiah says, the light shall break forth like the dawn, and our healing shall spring up quickly (chapter 58).
So often in life we want to hide our imperfections. We are bombarded with commercials for creams to cover up wrinkles, makeup to cover up blemishes, and clothes to cover up our size. On our social media sites, we post only our highlights, giving the impression that everything is all right all of the time.
I wonder what would happen if we could tell the whole story– that even when life is good it isn’t perfect, and that sometimes the world is a hard place to call home? Would we be stuck in despair? Or would we understand that brokenness isn’t exclusive to us?
We are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, a long tradition of vulnerability that leads to wholeness.
This message is excerpted from “Vulnerable in community” by Jeni Grangaard in the March 2013 Café online magazine. Today we commemorate Isaac Watts, hymnwriter, 1748.
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