Finding Hope in Brokenness

Though we spend much of our time trying to avoid or deny the fact, our world is a broken world.  To be sure, there is a great deal of joy to be found, too, but ultimately, finally, we live in a broken world.  In theological terms, we often refer to it as a “fallen world,” as the Bible teaches that this brokenness/fallenness is a consequence of our own doing.  The Bible explains that our own selfish, sinful choices have led to the fallen state of this world, but the Bible also offers hope in the midst of that brokenness.

I was recently challenged to see brokenness as an opportunity for the gospel.  And what is the gospel?  It is the good news that God has intentionally chosen not to abandon us, leaving us to deal with the consequences we deserve.  Instead, God has provided an opportunity for us to be reconciled to him, and the Bible tells us that opportunity is found in the life, death, and resurrection of his son, Jesus Christ.

But what does it mean when we hear that brokenness is an “opportunity” for the gospel?  Is it that pain and suffering provide an opening, an “in,” for religious exploitation?  Does our pain make us vulnerable to angry, hateful religious rhetoric?  Sadly, too many have used it in just that manner.  It’s part of the brokenness of this world.  But the gospel is not about exploitation, religion, or material gain.  It’s about God and his willingness to unilaterally restore the perfect relationship with him for which we were created.

So, how do we seize the opportunity proffered by our brokenness?  Often, we use words to try and tell or explain or correct.  Jesus did some of that, but he didn’t do it from a distance.  For the most part, his words were delivered only as he came alongside those experiencing pain or suffering.  Jesus travelled from town to town, meeting people where they were and welcoming them as they learned the good news, the gospel, of his presence in their midst.  He met needs – both physical and spiritual – as he met people along the way.  He lived the gospel.

How do we, then, come alongside others?  How do we live the gospel?  Well, we don’t do it by throwing words at “them” or “those people.”  We can give dollars and send others, and that’s all good…to a point.  But there’s more, so much more, that we’re called to do.

I’d suggest two simple, though hardly easy, steps:

1.  Recognize your own brokenness – By admitting our own need and bearing witness to God’s faithfulness, we are able to live out the gospel in the most powerful and effective way possible.  Consider the apostle Peter.  He failed miserably when he denied even knowing Christ not once, but three times.  He experienced the gospel in his own life when Christ restored him and charged him to “feed my sheep” (John 21). 

2.  Meet others in the midst of their brokenness – Don’t turn away.  Don’t avoid.  Go to them where they are and in whatever situation they find themselves.  Then greet them, not with condescending words or harsh judgment, but with the love and compassion of Christ.  Embrace them for who God has created them to be.  Tend to their needs, physical and spiritual, and model Christ’s love and sacrifice.

It may seem strange to see our brokenness as an opportunity for anything but pain and sorrow.  The truth is, though, that the God who created and sustains this universe can also bring joy out of sorrow, peace out of suffering, and wholeness out of brokenness. 

So, the next time you’re struggling with pain or loss or sorrow, see that brokenness as an opportunity for God’s gospel of grace and renewal in your own life.  Then live out that gospel in ways that allow you to come alongside others and minister God’s gospel to them.  See brokenness as an opportunity for the gospel.