Wednesday Word: Broken

I like that you're broken, broken like me . . .

     Lovelytheband

These are the opening lyrics to “Broken” and from the first time I heard the song it became one of my favorites. Besides having a catchy tune, the lyrics are insightful.

“I like that you're broken, broken like me. Maybe that makes me a fool. I like that you're lonely, lonely like me. I could be lonely with you.”

We all have our broken pieces: A love lost; a friendship ended; words spoken in haste; a perceived slight; attempts to reach out that have been rebuffed; the memories of bullying. And the list goes on.

We all have our broken pieces. We all have our scars. But all of this – our brokenness and our scars – are part of being human. And all of this tells the story of who we are.

This brokenness also tells the story of who others are. Some people have been broken more than ourselves, some less. Some people have more scars than us, some less.

I think it's important to remember that. It's important to remember that we all have various broken pieces and scars.

And it's important to remember that people break, people are scarred, most often at the hands of others. How would our life be different if people treated us like a fragile piece of art they didn't want to break? How would the lives of those around us be different if we did the same? How would the Church be different?

May we strive to be gentle. May we strive to be a community that heals and strengthens.

Blessings,

Todd+