The Golden Glue

Somewhere in the Far East, there are craftsmen who make very large earthen urns. Like any other pottery, they are formed, fired in a kiln, hand-painted and glazed. These are urns that stand 3 to 4 feet tall, and when they are finished they are truly works of art, and quite valuable. But when finished, the craftsman takes a mallet, and completely breaks the urn into many pieces, destroying what was a work of art.

Why does the craftsman destroy a beautiful work of art? After the urn is in pieces, the craftsman painstakingly begins to put the urn back together, almost like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Not the smallest piece is ignored. Every piece is fitted and glued into place, so that neither the design nor form is any different than the original. The finished product, although hard to believe, is more beautiful than before it was broken. Every piece is in place, but the brokenness offers a special beauty that the…