by Dr. Jay Richard Akkerman
Most of us know the sinking feeling of breaking something precious—a vase, a keepsake, something that mattered deeply to us or to someone we love. Often, our first instinct is to sweep up the fragments and toss them away. But what if brokenness wasn’t the end of the story?
Across the centuries, gifted Japanese artisans have practiced an art form called Kintsugi, which literally means “gold joinery.” Rather than discarding broken pottery, these masters repair their fragile, cracked and broken artifacts with lacquer dusted in powdered gold. But these artisans do not strive to conceal an item’s brokenness; instead, they honor these pieces despite their fragmentation. And paradoxically, these mended pieces become more beautiful and valuable than ever before any damage was done.
This image speaks powerfully to the Christian life. In God’s gracious economy, brokenness is not a deal-breaker. Each of us carries wounds, hurts and weaknesses we would rather conceal. But God—our master artisan—meets us at our point of brokenness, offering healing and restoration. As Paul reminds us in II Corinthians 12.9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Becoming Kintsugi People requires trusting that God’s grace not only heals, but also makes us whole vessels of creativity and redemption in our world. Pastors, you know this firsthand: ministry is not built on polished perfection, but on Christ’s power at work, even despite our human failures and weaknesses. And just as others have invested time and patience in us, so we now invest in others—helping them discover their brokenness not as a source of shame, but as the very place where God’s glory is able to shine through.
Philosopher Esther Lightcap Meek puts it beautifully: “Extravagant art born of brokenness invites the descent of God, who graciously rejoins disparate fragments to create profound beauty.”
Friends, that is the gospel!
So, my prayer for you, my pastor friends, is this: that together we will open ourselves to becoming Kintsugi People, reflecting God’s humble glory through the beauty of the new creation of our mended lives, refined in the hands of our Artisan God whose restoration adds immeasurably more value than we ever had before.
For a masterful look at Kintsugi, watch this short film (0:06:26) produced by Windrider Studios in Eagle, Idaho. A free small group discussion guide is also available by clicking here.
