Broken… and Beautiful

Yesterday I reflected on the “art of failure.” I continue that theme today.

Many years ago I remember hearing about the Royal Palace in Teheran, Iran. Apparently, an architect planned for the walls of the royal palace entry to be covered with sheets of beautiful mirrors from Paris. But when the shipment of glass arrived, they discovered that every mirror had been broken in travel. 

However, just as the workers started gathering the broken pieces together to discard them, the architect had a revelation. He said, “Wait a minute. I’ve got an idea!” Picking up a hammer, he began to break some of the larger pieces into smaller pieces. He gathered them up and walked over to the entry. Painting glue on the wall, he proceeded to arrange the tiny pieces over and over until there was an enormous montage of mirror fragments. At no point were the mirrors broken alike and at no point was the angle exact. 

Visitors say that the result is breathtaking. The grand entrance is a dazzling brilliant display of prisms, reflecting light in every direction! One person standing in awe before the finished entrance described the result like this: “Broken to be more beautiful!”

What would it be like to be so confident of God’s grace that we could actually see our past failures as part of a mosaic that is our life? What if we could see the failed pieces of our past as gained wisdom, and as the fire that inspires new possibilities, mercy, and compassion?

May you and I continue to work on this great work of art called our own existence. May we come to understand that even the failed pieces are essential to the final masterpiece. And may we trust that Master Architect has a vision, and is at work in us – even now.  

Let us pray: Loving God, we pray today for healing, for mercy, and for grace. And then, even as we are being healed, use us as instruments of your love. Amen.