Bits and Pieces

 

And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. For the Son of Man goes pas it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” (Luke 22:14-22 ESV).

 

The stained-glass window we have hanging in our home was a gift from the last church I pastored, Santa Fe Baptist Church, in Tennessee. It is identical to the windows we placed in the transoms of our sanctuary. It is a cherished reminder of the incredible years we spent there with wonderful folks. When we visited with the artisan who would craft it, he asked that we pick out the glass for the window. There were scores of choices both in colors and texture of glass. As I looked at the variety, I wondered how he could make that into a window. He said, “It’s a bit like putting a jigsaw puzzle together.

 

I understood that image. I have often enjoyed spreading out a puzzle on the table and watching it come together. Of course, my artistry is minimal, but the patience is the same, and the reward is beautiful. Someone has said that the fine cathedral windows of Notre Dame were fashioned out of discarded glass fragments. The stained-glass artist had greater skill and worked harder than we do, but the principle is the same—turning fragments into beauty.

 

The Bible mirrors the continuous fragmentation of life and relationships—Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and his sons, Abraham and Lot, Sarah and Hagar, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers (all these in Genesis!), and then Miriam and Moses, David and Absalom, Jew and Gentile, and even Paul and Barnabas. Today we know such fragmentation on a much more personal level. However, Jesus puts us together creating beauty. Lent is a good time to mourn our brokenness and find our wholeness in Christ.