Brokenness

My fan broke today. The other day it was my sunglasses and my camping chair. A few days before that it was my toaster. It frustrates me because we pay money for things expecting them to work. But everything keeps breaking. And then we have to pay more money to fix it or replace it. Nothing lasts.

But actually, that’s the kind of world we live in. It’s broken. Romans 8:20 says, "the creation was subjected to futility.” Everything moves toward deterioration. Our stuff, our bodies, our societies, everything. And there’s nothing we can do to stop it. No matter how much we try to patch things up, cover them over, glue them back together, or medicate them, it’s inevitable. Time and age are patient. They will always outlast our best efforts. Everything wears out. Nothing lasts.

If that sounds a bit depressing and hopeless, I think it’s suppose to. Because I think every time something breaks, it points forward to a time when everything will work, when nothing will decay, when ‘broken’ won’t even be part of our vocabulary. Romans 8:21 speaks of the hope "that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” You see, this world is not the end. Brokenness, deterioration, decay, it’s not the end. So when I go to replace my broken fan, I’ll try not to get frustrated because I know it’s just a reminder that He “is making all things new” (Rev. 21:5).