Earthen Vessels

I always cringe when I hear us use the antiquated term "earthen vessels" in relation to 2 Corinthians 4:7. Earthen vessels almost sounds valuable, like a piece of antique furniture. The fact is we are merely "clay pots." These clay pots can be found shattered and in ruins all over the Middle East. I always found it interesting that we often speak about the “invisible,” “perfect,” “universal,” “eternal” church. I guess we do this because we feel guilty for how broken we are and want to believe that somewhere beyond the blue there is this perfect church untainted by humanity. The fact is, the church is what it is. It has always been the link between the divine and the human. It has always been messy. At our best we are fragile, vulnerable, and an incomplete expression of God’s intent for the world. At our worst we lie shattered and in ruins. That is why this text is so stunning: “But we have this treasure in clay pots to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”