How Do We Fill The Cracks?

There is a lot of anxiety in the air we breathe right now. Between the elections, an unprecedented pandemic, and so many of the things we used to count on being a little wobbly, (I’m looking at you, school, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies.) everyone is a little bit on edge. Over the past few weeks, I’ve tried to engage with social media more intentionally. Rather than being triggered by things that I see I am trying to be a curious observer. This week I engaged with a particularly contentious post. I tried to view the comments as a curious observer rather than someone who had a strong opinion about the topic. It was a fascinating and heartbreaking experience. I have been thinking about it all week. As a curious observer, I started to see a big crack. It was a true cacophony of voices. So many people were trying to be heard, I’m not sure anyone was heard. The question I’ve been asking is: how do we fill the crack? Thinking about cracks that need fixed brought me to the Japanese way of repairing pottery called Kintsugi. Kintsugi is the method of repairing pottery with a lacquer dusted with gold, silver, or platinum powder. What is even more interesting about Kintsugi is it’s not only a way to repair cracks, it’s a philosophy that treats the crack and the repair as part of the history of the cracked object. So the repair becomes part of the story that is highlighted and made beautiful, rather than hidden or just thrown away to start with something new. How do we fill the cracks? What can Kitsugi teach us? I don’t know what the answers are. I am confident that in the next few week’s a lot of people are going to be discouraged. No matter which person wins the election you will have neighbors and friends who voted for the other candidate who will be scared and disappointed. There will be people questioning what kind of place we live and who their neighbors are regardless of the outcome. Maybe we fill the crack by practicing kindness and giving the person on the other side (political side, theological side, sports team side) the benefit of the doubt. Lets’ start to fill the crack with what we agree on, rather than what our differences might be. Kintsugi is a method that is slow and gradual. It is done with respect for the crack. Kintsugi is done with eager anticipation of what new will emerge from what was broken. How can we start to fill the cracks? What will YOU be doing? Slow, Patient, Respectful, With an Eye for Beauty…. “the point of kintsugi is to treat broken pieces and their repair as part of the history of an object. A break is something to remember, something of value, a way to make the piece more beautiful, rather than something to disguise. They use gold, not invisible superglue, because mistakes shouldn’t be considered ugly. Broken pieces and their repair merely contribute to the story of an object, they don’t ruin it.” Penny Reid If you like these questions, please consider SUBSCRIBING to The Art of Powering Down; Questions to Recharge Your Soul… Every week there is a question that will gently challenge you, encourage you, or help you live your life with more intention, grace, and purpose. (Sharing these reflections and questions with friends is the greatest compliment!)

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