“Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light.” Groucho Marx

“Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light.”so states a post card on a special little room I have the privileged of visiting to share time with a very wise man who knows so much about brokenness and light, wholeness, pain and joy. The quote (according to Google) comes originally from Groucho Marx but apparently can also be found in Michael Arditti's novel "The Celibate" as a new beatitude thought up by an ordinand in a seminary as well as in Leonard Cohen's song 'Anthem'. Whatever its origins for some time I've found it a powerful (and smile educing) quote but haven't taken that long to reflect upon it...

During the solas festival I recalled it as I heard John Bell sharing some thoughts about the imperfections of creation and pointing to the fact that even in the story of creation in Genesis God does not look on the world and say ''it is perfect God say it is 'good' and it is 'very good'. He reminded us that people living on a fault line know only too well that creation isn't perfect. For some looking at creation points to God and some will look for the perfection in creation to look to the perfection in God but it just isn't so. But for me the brokenness of creation also somehow points to God, it casts a different light on things...

closer to home I've been doing some thinking and reflecting on things that are not perfect in my life (I need longer than a sabbatical for that!) and in particular the imperfections in relationships with others and my high expectations and values and how drawn to the negative I get when these are not met.... I often seem to notice the brokenness but fail to spot the light,  I fail to see the light in the cracks.

For some years I have had a recurring problem with my arm and neck and having been round some many NHS circles that I decided (well Sarah practically told me) to try a different route, I contacted a local chiropractor who did an initial assessment and treatment, she explained the holistic theory behind the practice stating that 'we believe the body has all the abilities it needs to self heal but sometimes there are blocks which stop that from happening, the chiropractor's job is to help unblock the body's potential for self healing' (I paraphrase a little) now the medics out there might disagree and I don't swallow that whole but it was again a reminder of the wonders of our created bodies and reminded me of these ancient words from the Psalms:

'I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.'

Psalm 139:14 New International Version (NIV)

In our brokenness do we still recognise that we are fearfully and wonderfully made?

          I wonder if we see the light through the cracks?

                In our constant searching for perfection and wholeness do we fail to learn from our imperfection? 

I'm still chewing this one and maybe for some time...