We often see the fragility that comes from the way in which our beings are made
The manner in which we are so easily chipped and broken by the hard places of life
We may wish we were made of sterner stuff like iron or bronze
Or that we bore the shine of silver or gold or some precious stone
But we mortal beings bear our treasures in the fired clay of the earth
Formed from the mud and our varied shapes formed upon the wheel
Yet, it is the kiln of life that locks us into our true form
And no glaze can disguise that reality that we are pots needing to be filled
Yet one stunning revelation in the midst of this season of the Spirit
That lights upon the apostles as flames of fire consuming the past
Lighting the way to a new and uncertain future for them and those who follow
But one truth of ceramics for all their flaws and weaknesses
Is their ability to absorb the heat of the flame, for they were formed in it
Unlike metals they retain the heat rather than transmitting it to the world around
They are able to bear the creative fire of the spirit’s presence into the world
Without the world around them being consumed by heat of holiness
In their mortality and fragility they are suited to a task no other can manage.
Neil White, 2014
Fired Clay
Leave a reply
We often see the fragility that comes from the way in which our beings are made
The manner in which we are so easily chipped and broken by the hard places of life
We may wish we were made of sterner stuff like iron or bronze
Or that we bore the shine of silver or gold or some precious stone
But we mortal beings bear our treasures in the fired clay of the earth
Formed from the mud and our varied shapes formed upon the wheel
Yet, it is the kiln of life that locks us into our true form
And no glaze can disguise that reality that we are pots needing to be filled
Yet one stunning revelation in the midst of this season of the Spirit
That lights upon the apostles as flames of fire consuming the past
Lighting the way to a new and uncertain future for them and those who follow
But one truth of ceramics for all their flaws and weaknesses
Is their ability to absorb the heat of the flame, for they were formed in it
Unlike metals they retain the heat rather than transmitting it to the world around
They are able to bear the creative fire of the spirit’s presence into the world
Without the world around them being consumed by heat of holiness
In their mortality and fragility they are suited to a task no other can manage.
Neil White, 2014
