Where the Spirit of God Enters

I understand that Navajo weavers developed a tradition called the “Spirit-Trail” as they wove their beautiful blankets. The Spirit-Trail is created by the weaver deliberately forming a break in the line of their pattern. This “break” could be as simple as a single contrasting color thread, blazing its way at the weaver’s directive across the otherwise orderly pattern.

The Spirit-Trail was the artist’s way of letting the weaving “breath” take on a life of its own. The Spirit-Trail enabled the weaving to open up its own rigid rules of design and prefabrication, allowing freedom, the unpredictable, and even chaos, to enter into the tapestry.

I have heard that many Amish artisans intentionally leave some small blemish or flaw in their work to demonstrate that only God is perfect. The Navajo Spirit-Trail, however, is a “positive flaw.” It celebrates something else: what the human mind tells us is a “mistake” may actually be the opening, the portal, for the divine to enter our lives in new and unexpected ways.

All of this makes me wonder about the mistakes, imperfections, and flaws in your life and in mine. I wonder if these might not be the openings, the portals for God to enter, and to begin to work new life. May it be so.

Let us pray: Loving and Gracious God, we hand over to you again this day our past mistakes, our flaws, and our imperfections. Meet us in those broken places and beginning right there, fill us with your Spirit. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.