As Pottery Crumbles

As pottery crumbles, lives collapse.

Pride fades, hope swells, and grace envelopes.

In South Asia, there is still a caste system in practice. An image of social hierarchy. Well, the Dalit people group is at the bottom of the status chain. The label "Dalit" literally means "Untouchable." This is a group of people, MILLIONS of people, who are neglected and cast aside. When they go into a public place to eat they are given a little clay cup to drink from. Afterwards, the cup is smashed and destroyed because no one in the upper levels of the caste system would even drink after an Untouchable.

This week at BCM, we were challenged to be broken. Kendal had prepared a segment of the evening for confession and brokenness. He had small clay pots set up near microphones. Our challenge was to search our hearts for sin and impurities that needed to be confessed to God, go up to the microphone and confess that, and then smash a clay pot on a rock. This symbolized how in actuality, we are all sinners, we are all untouchable.

Walking up to that rock and smashing a small clay pot on it is insignificant. Anyone can do that. However, really seeing the symbolism in the act can be so impacting. It was so humbling for me, to cry out to the God of this universe and admit where I fall short. He does not even have to respond. He does not even have to listen. He does not even have to forgive.

We are dirty and undeserving of His perfect love. But it is because of that love He has for us that He sent Christ to die on the cross. He sent His Son to walk among us. Not only to be with us, but to OFFER His life for us. That is so much more than we deserve. We are dirty, we are sinners, we are Untouchable.

After strongholds were broken down with the smashing of pots, Kendal placed a red cloth over the table with the broken pieces on it. That symbolized Jesus' blood that covered a multitude of sins. ALL sins.

"Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: "Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended on deceit, this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant. It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern." --Isaiah 30:12-14