“I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel” (Ps 31:12).
Supposedly designed to look like a stairway to heaven, Wat Arun (“Temple of Dawn”) dominates the western side of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. The Buddhist holy site is noted for its colorful, glazed ceramic tiles (they say more than one million, but I didn’t count) that glisten in the light. The origin of the tiles? They were broken bits of Chinese dishes salvaged from a British shipwreck! The pieces were shaped into flower petals and embedded into the prang, or main spire, to glitter in the sun. Sadly, at the heart of it all is the statue of a dead man, the Buddha, who could neither conquer death nor find the secret to life.
By contrast, our Jesus is both alive and the Life! And using folks like us, once broken vessels, He is fashioning for Himself “a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle” (Eph 5:27). Lord, help us reflect Your light today, showing people how beautiful You are!