Tag Archives: potential

On Broken Wings

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Damaged Peacock Butterfly

“Damaged goods”, “shop soiled”, “incomplete item” – these are all phrases that speak negatively of things, suggesting that most will now pass them by and their value has been reduced. Sadly, “damaged goods” and other such phrases might even be used pejoratively and selectively by a few to describe certain types of people. Are they of lesser value and to be passed by?

Many might refuse to buy anything that isn’t perfect. However, there are some who perhaps relish the challenge of taking a slightly damaged item and making it whole again, seeing its potential despite the surface appearance. Yes, this demands more work, but the end result brings satisfaction.

How do we view those on the edges of society, whether they be racial minorities, “disabled” people, the homeless, poor or others? Do we think that only they are damaged or that they are to be passed by? The truth is that all of us are in some way “damaged”. We are not perfect. The question is, can we see the potential, the latent beauty in each other as well as the scars and wounds? Are we aware of our own brokenness?

The damaged peacock butterfly above still retains much of its beauty. It can still fly, but it must do so on broken wings. Some of us might learn ways of hiding our scars, others wear them clearly visible, perhaps with no choice but for others to see our weaknesses. Sometimes we receive new wounds, new weaknesses that mean we must once again learn to fly, this time with even weaker wings than before.

God doesn’t pass any of us by, no matter how “damaged” we might be. None are left on the shelf, too far beyond repair. God in His love relishes the challenge of rebuilding us, making us whole and bringing out that latent potential and inner beauty. Our broken wings will one day be restored so that we can truly fly as we were meant to.

Yet, God does not just expect to be left to do the healing work all on His own. We can be channels of healing for others, bringing them off the shelf to God rather than waiting for Him to go to them. We can choose to believe that these damaged souls can still fly, albeit on broken wings for the time being. We can choose to stop and see their beauty and potential. Nobody should be passed over. After all, God has chosen to take care of us and we are no less damaged and in need of repair than anyone else.

© Joe Lenton, September 2013

Talent Spotting

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How good are we as churches at recognising potential? Do we look at each other and see only faults, or can we see the signs of talents that could grow to become something special?

Jesus saw potential in what might have looked to others like hopeless causes. He not only spotted what people could become, he did something about it, too. You could say that this was a characteristic of much of Jesus’ ministry, but it is perhaps most noticeable in his choice of disciples.

It has been remarked many times that Jesus chooses an unlikely bunch to work with and to entrust with the task of spreading the good news of God’s kingdom. Surely he should have chosen some “religious leaders” who would command the respect of the community and have a good education in the Scriptures? Instead, Jesus chooses fishermen and a tax collector, to name a few.

Somehow, when Jesus gets to know Simon, Andrew and James, he decides that these are the people he wants to work with. He sees their potential to do more than catch fish (not that he disparages this at all, of course); Jesus sees people with talents that could be developed to help bring people into the kingdom (Mark 1:16-20).

When Jesus meets Simon in John 1:42 he says that he will have a new name – “Peter”. This is not just a case of using a different name as his old one was hard to pronounce or anything like that! Jesus renames him as an indication of something he sees in him that will later come to fruition.

Barnabas is another example from the New Testament of someone who sees potential in others. Most notably, he believes in Paul and opens up opportunities for him to use his talents – Acts 9:26-28, 11:19-26  (see also my article on Barnabas – “Encourage – then everyone wins”).

Whilst it may be right to emphasise growth in character, becoming more Christ-like in personal “holiness”, we shouldn’t be so keen to drive the bad out of ourselves that we fail to notice the good that can be developed and the talents that can be used for God’s kingdom. We may not have the immense abilities of insight that Jesus had, but with prayer and an effort on our part to notice, we can learn to see not only the good in one another, but the potential as well.

Have you noticed talent or potential in someone recently? Have you told them so? Are we too preoccupied with getting our own talents spotted and used to notice others’? What might happen to our churches and the work for the kingdom if we spent more time encouraging one another, opening doors and developing people?

© Joe Lenton, October 2012