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Deuteronomy 6:2-6 / Hebrews 7:23-28 / Mark 12: 28b-34
Life is Messy. . .
It is. . . isn’t it. . .
Life is Messy.
That’s the title of a recent book by
Catholic author Matthew Kelly.
Sometimes. . . sometimes. . .
we get glimpses that there
is some rationality and direction in our lives. . .
But more times than not. . .
Life. . . and the world. . .
seem to be somewhat chaotic. . .
unruly. . .
with strong forces fighting against us.
That’s one thing that the pandemic
has made us realize. . .
Or social media which is conspiring to
make us more angry. . .
so we’ll turn against each other. . .
so we’ll be divided. . .
just for profit!!!
Or sometimes we’re our own worst enemy. . .
Doing what we deep down. . .
Deep down. . .
knowing it is wrong and we don’t really want to do. . .
Or not doing what we really know is right!!!
Life is messy!!!
And there’s no grand plan
that we can come up with
that will fix all the messes. . .
There’s no perfect life coach we can hire. . .
There’s no perfect self-help book that we could read
that will solve all the messiness of life.
Even finding the perfect love of your life
won’t solve all the messiness. . .
there’s some messiness in that too!!!
Nor will having the perfect career. . .
There’s some messiness in that too!!!
There are just too many variables. . .
There are too many people in our orbit
with different goals and different ideas. . .
There are too many forces
pushing us. . .
first in this direction. . .
and then in that direction!!!
And you know,
there’s just too much wounded-ness. . .
and brokenness in the world.
We’re all broken and wounded
in some way or another. . .
So, the mess of human life. . .
is here to stay. . .
at least until Jesus returns. . .
It’s unavoidable. . .
It’s just life.
So Matthew Kelly is right!!!
Life is messy!!
But after pointing out the messiness of life. . .
Kelly gives a wonderful piece of Christian wisdom. . .
it’s not the mess that determines our life. . .
It’s what we do with the mess
that determines everything.
It’s not the mess that determines our life. . .
It’s what we do with the mess
that determines everything.
So Kelly states that one of
THE questions of our life. . .
One of the most important questions is this:
Can something that has been broken. . .
Can something that has been broken. . .
be put back together in such a way. . .
that makes it more beautiful than ever before?
Can something that has been broken. . .
be put back together in such a way
that makes it more beautiful than ever before?
Well, as Christians. . . our answer has to be yes. . .
Yes. . .
Of course it can!!
The Japanese have a beautiful art form called
“Kintsugi”. . .
It’s a form of ceramics.
In our culture. . .
if we break a vase or a bowl. . .
we throw it away and buy a new one. . .
but with this Japanese art form. . .
when a vase is broken. . .
the artist gathers up the pieces. . .
and glues them back together.
And the way they glue the pieces back together
is steeped in wisdom. . .
and tradition. . .
with an understanding of what true beauty is!!!
You see, they mix gold dust with the glue. . .
And they don’t try to hide the cracks. . .
they own them. . .
they honor them. . .
they even accentuate them
by making them golden
with the golden glue. (Kelly, Life is Messy, 3-8)
And the finished products. . .
they are beautiful. . .
Absolutely beautiful!!!
Can something that has been broken. . .
be put back together in such a way
that makes it more beautiful than ever before?
Yes. . .
Yes, it can. . .
in the hands of the Divine Artist. . .
Yes, they can. . .
in the hands of the Holy Spirit.
And where does this happen?
Where does the reconfiguring. . .
this restoration. . .
this healing take place?
where does the gluing with
the golden glue take place?. . .
to make us. . .
broken as we are. . .
more beautiful than ever before?
Just asks our great mystics. . .
Just ask those who have been glued back together
into something more beautiful
than they were before. . .
just ask the saints. . .
This restoration and healing
takes place in deep. . .deep prayer
in the hands of the Holy Spirit. . .
where we place ourselves in
the Hands of the divine artist. . .
Prayer. . .it happens in prayer!!!
And it happens by immersing ourselves. .
in the Word of God. . .
as the Gospel. . .
the words of Jesus. . .
gives us new shape. . .
putting us back together with the divine glue.
It happens in the Gospels!!!
And it happens in the sacraments. . .
In eating His Body and drinking His Blood. . .
It happens in the sacrament of reconciliation. . .
In the sacraments we are united with the divine artist. . .
we are touched by grace!!!
The healing power of grace!!!
Love God. . .
Love God. . .
Love God. . .
by put ourselves in the Divine Hands. . .
Love God by letting Him have his way with Us. . .
Shaping and gluing us back together in God’s image. . .
Love God by praying. . .
By immersing ourselves in His word. . .
By receiving the pure grace and love of the sacraments!!!
And once we have been touched. . .
Once we’ve been healed. . .
Been reconfigured. . .
Glued together by the Divine Artist. . .
Then the Divine Artist sends us out
to become healers of the brokenness. . .
instruments in the messiness!!!
wounded healers. . .
As Kelly says:
“We each possess,
[as Children of God. . .
made and conformed in the Image of God. . .
and healed. . .
glued back together]. . .
we become the gold dust
needed to glue
other people back together. . .
[helping] making them more beautiful and
loveable than ever.
Our love,
connection,
acceptance,
generosity,
community,
and kindness
are that gold dust” (Kelly, Life is Messy, 3-8)
As we lead them to. . .
and surrender them to. . .
the Divine artist!!!
Love neighbor!!!
Love neighbor!!!
Help restore them with love. . .
God’s love!!!
Life is Messy!!!
But the mess doesn’t determine our lives. . .
what we do with mess determines our lives!!!
Can something that has been broken. . .
be put back together in such a way
that makes it more beautiful than ever before?
Absolutely!!!!
As an example just look at pictures of
Kintsugi ceramics on the internet. . .
But more important. . .
check out the saints!!!
How does it all happen?. . .
the restoration. . .
the healing. . .
being formed into true human beauty?
How???
Love God. . .
And love neighbor!!!
Holy Spirit 10/30-31/2021
