Merriam-Webster defines broken as “violently separated into parts, shattered”, like in broken windows, or “damaged or altered by or as if by breaking” such as:
- having undergone or been subjected to fracture (broken leg)
- not working properly (a broken camera)
- violated by transgression: not kept or honored (a broken promise)
- discontinuous, interrupted (a broken sleep)
It builds on this mindset by adding the definitions,
- “made weak or infirm” like in his old, broken body,
- “subdued completely, crushed or sorrowful” as in a broken heart or a broken spirit,
- “not complete or full” as in a broken bale of hay.
- “reduced in rank” as in was broken from servant to private
All of these definitions point to one reality that unites all of these definitions, that is the notion of…
not being whole or complete
With the fall, something was disrupted in our relationship with others and our Creator. It left us in a state where we are broken in every aspect of our being, our relationships shattered, our sense of self-worth reduced. As a result we all find ourselves in a state of infirmity, incompleteness, and violated by the transgression in the Garden. The ultimate break was in our interrupted state before our God, fracturing us at the core of our soul as we find ourselves subdued by sin. We are all broken.
Broken Glory is about how we, as the people of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, seek to be transformed in our thinking regarding the world, our experiences and His Word. Through it I am attempting to answer the question, “How does God require us to view the going ons of our living?” Looking through the lens of Christ’s love, we should view the world differently than those who do not know Him. By His Holy Spirit we should be compelled to be in the world but not of the world. This Christian cliché is easier said than done, especially in a society where the mantra is, “What’s in it for me?”
It is my prayer that my thoughts regarding the topics addressed would inspire each of us to view the world and others differently. By asking questions, honoring memories, and being transparently authentic, it is my hope that others would do the same. By looking at his Word daily over the course of a work week, I attempt through prayers to show how His word speaks to all of life’s circumstances, modeling how we can pray through Scriptures.
Yes, we are all broken. Yet, the good news is that in Jesus we have, what Paul calls the hope of glory. And, it has not yet appeared what we shall be like. Yet, when He comes back – and He is coming back – we shall be like Him. Therefore, while I wait upon His return, I embrace the reality that,
For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:12