Brokenness to Beauty

CT’s new initiatives to bind the fractured church together again.

Motoki Tonn / Unsplash

In his book Art and Faith, Makoto Fujimura describes a centuries-old Japanese art form known as kintsugi. Ceramic bowls, broken into pieces, are joined back together and remade—but not as they were before. Gleaming gold is set into the seams between the shards. The resulting pieces are unique and more complex, more beautiful, and more valuable than they were before.

This came to mind recently when an old friend shared his counterintuitive opinion with me. “As hard as it is to believe,” he said, “the theme of this era will be an outbreak of the Spirit that leads to unity within the church.”

May it be so. Our moment is marked by division and enmity in the culture as well as in the church. But the Spirit of God can bring unity out of division and love out of enmity. He can make us anew, not as we were before but as we are meant to be, ever more like Christ.

Christianity Today is seeking the gold that might fill the seams and bind our shattered church back together. Recently we announced that Russell Moore will bring his formidable talents to CT to lead a new public theology project. This will invite multiple voices to unfold the implications of the gospel for the whole of life, from the everyday questions of personal faith to the great debates of the public square. Moore models a form of theology that is rooted in Scripture and the theological tradition but also infused with humility and love. As a thousand forces strive to pull the church apart, we hope the public theology project will help bring us back together again through a broad and charitable conversation on the most important questions of life and culture.

We are also immensely excited by Ekstasis, a nascent publication we have acquired and added to the CT ecosystem. Younger generations of believers are seeking new ways of pressing into the depths of what it means to follow Jesus. Ekstasis revives the Christian imagination, offers artful contemplation that nurtures the soul, and illuminates a path that leads through beauty and awe to a profound and joyous faith in Jesus Christ. In a clamorous and contentious age, we view Ekstasis as a kind of digital cathedral, a sanctuary from the noise, a place that captures our attention through loving art and luminous words.

When the one you worship has conquered death, hope comes as easily as breathing. We hope through the ongoing work of our remarkable team, and through new ventures such as these, that we can do our humble part to bind the church together again. Sometimes things are broken so they can be put back together again, and sometimes they are more beautiful for having been broken.

Timothy Dalrymple is president and CEO of Christianity Today. Follow him on Twitter @TimDalrymple_.

Also in this issue

When a band of Boko Haram terrorists kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls from a remote Nigerian town in 2014, it felt like the whole world was joining together to voice its outrage, thanks to a wildly successful social media campaign anchored in the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls. In this month’s cover story, two Wall Street Journal reporters with extensive experience in West Africa uncover the defiant Christian faith that sustained the girls throughout their captivity, detailing the strength they drew from stealthily shared prayers, songs, and Bible passages.

Cover Story

Whispered Prayers, Hidden Bibles, Secretly Scribbled Verses: Inside the Resilient Faith of the #BringBackOurGirls Hostages

Promise Keepers Tried to End Racism 25 Years Ago. It Almost Worked.

Testimony

Having Polio Was a Privilege, Not a Punishment

Why Do Some People Think Jesus Was a Racist?

News

Gleanings: June 2021

Editorial

Christian College Boards: Stay Strong on Sexual Ethics

Reply All

News

How Christians Are Rebuilding a Relationship with Colorado Springs

How to Have Patriotism Without Nationalism

The River of Justice Flows Downhill

Our July/August Issue: The Cynic’s Life Raft

5 Books to Awaken Interest in Christian History

Why Church Can’t Be the Same After the Pandemic

‘How Could All the Prophets Be Wrong About Trump?’

Patrons’ Saints: Christians Turn to Patreon, Substack, and Kickstarter

Is Jemar Tisby’s Bestselling Book About Racism a Fluke?

News

‘Pray Away the Gay’ Has Gone Away. Why Are Governments Trying to Stop It?

News

After Angela Merkel, German Evangelicals Weigh Political Values

Church History Is a Beautiful Melody Imperfectly Performed

Review

The Bible Doesn’t Come with Instructions. But We Still Need Guidance to Handle It Well.

Review

Even When Money Is Tight, Churches Have More Resources Than They Realize

New & Noteworthy Fiction

News

As Denominations Decline, Faith Looks Different in Nashville

View issue

Our Latest

My Friend, Bill Pannell

A reflection on the trailblazing Black theologian and his influence on American evangelicalism.

What Are Parents For?

Scripture has a clear vision for parents as stewards of our children. It’s not an instruction manual for modern parenting spats.

News

When the Elder Calls—From Outer Space

Two sick church members in their 90s got a pastoral “visit” from a friend—an astronaut stuck on the International Space Station.

Being Human

Trauma, Tenacity, and Trusting God with Beth Moore

The Bible teacher and author reflects on the Lord’s presence throughout her life.

News

Died: Jack Iker, Anglican Who Drew the Line at Women’s Ordination

The Texas bishop fought a bitter legal battle with the Episcopal Church and won.

Why Can’t We Talk to Each Other Anymore?

Online interactions are draining us of energy to have hard conversations in person.

How Priscilla Shirer Surrenders All

The best-selling Bible teacher writes about putting God first in her life and how healthy Christian discipleship requires sacrifice

Church Disappointment Is Multilayered

Jude 3 Project founder Lisa Fields speaks about navigating frustrations with God and fellow believers.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube