March 04, 2010

Japanese Imperfection

I just read this in an msn article about looking for Mr. Right (yeap--I still read those) but I want to take it deeper.

Here's the quote:

"In America, when a potter makes a pot, they put a glaze on it and put it in the kiln and know exactly what it's supposed to look like when it comes out. But when the Japanese make a pot, they put it in a wood-fire kiln that could be any temperature, and when they take the pot out, it's not always exactly like they thought it was supposed to look like. And they say, 'Oh, wow, this is what the fire did to the pot and it's gorgeous!' They believe there's no beauty in perfection."

We've probably all heard that God is a Master Potter. "He is the potter, we are the clay". I believe all too often we function as America. We think our lives should like exactly like "_________". We make our sculpture, but the glaze of prayer on it and stick it in the kiln expecting it to come out with God's approval stamped on it--exactly like we pictured it."

However, what if it’s more like the Japanese? What if life turns out not exactly like we thought it would, and yet it is still gorgeous? What if we really embraced the idea that there is no beauty in perfection?

Because, I think, in order to know there is beauty in the world, we also have to know the imperfect. We have to remember that our God is in the business of redeeming the imperfect. And really--is there anything more beautiful than redemption?

4 comments:

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Anonymous said...

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Colleen Courtney said...

Very, very true.

suerte said...

I think that perfection excludes beauty...