Every town, every village of any size, had at least one. We’re thinking, of course, of a pottery shop. Archeologists postulate where a neighborhood’s “center” lay by finding a trove of broken pieces, shards, of terra cotta. Most everyday containers –pots, crocks, dishes & cups– were made from pottery. The local potter was a most significant fellow!
The Prophet Jeremiah, in the part of his oracle we now call Chapter 18, says that God sent him to watch the potter throw (craft) his ware. Wet clay was shaped into something useful on a spinning wheel–and when the design wasn’t quite right, he’d start it over, spinning & molding until it WAS right. Jeremiah used this as an analogy of warning to Jerusalem, saying that God could & would break them up: “Turn now, all of you from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings.” (v.11) Seen from this side of Jesus, we could rightly read this passage as a concern of God to mold and re-mold us in our righteous origins.
Speaking of re-molding, get a load of Onesimus, subject of Paul’s Letter to Philemon! “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me.” (v.11) The letter is a plea to Philemon to forgive his slave Onesimus for running away, perhaps even freeing him! This is pretty radical stuff, as is all of the Gospel. What did Paul see in Onisimus? What did GOD see in him that could be recast and polished, freeing him to full citizenship? We’ll never know; but what’s important is the chance Paul & God & (hopefully) Philemon would take on his once-broken behalf.
Luke remembers how Jesus called for re-forming discipleship: “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” (14:26) Let’s not leave it at that, but go further to the bit about counting the cost before building a tower, or for that matter, going to war. Is this relevant today, or what?! “None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.” (v.33) Counter-cultural, attitude changing….breaking old molds in favor of new designs.
A few days ago, a Jumble(cr) puzzle gave this clue: “When the woman’s priceless vase fell off the shelve and broke, she……” And the answer, which I didn’t get, was “went to pieces.” Bits of life’s brick-a-brack continue to fall and break, and maybe that keeps us looking for new and better treasures. Can the new be re-formed from what is old and yet imperfect? The Potter keeps spinning.
God Bless Us, Every One H B King
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