That's how the light gets out.

"There's a crack in everything - that's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen

I've seen a similar quote attributed to Ernest Hemingway as well. I've done zero research on that, so I don't know if he really said it or not. Unimportant. I like this idea, that broken places are where light gets in.

I'd like to add that brokenness is also where our light gets out.

When we are authentic with our brokenness, when we are honest, when we accept our brokenness and share it constructively with the world, our light gets out. It shines light for others who may need it. 

But when we are operating out of fear, out of self-preservation, it's like we are inside a big pot frantically trying to seal up the cracks. Our focus is on plugging leaks and trying to make sure no one can see that anything is wrong. 

That is exhausting. What's more, sealing the cracks means that no light is getting in or out. We're not receiving the light from others, and we're not sharing our light with others. We're blocked. We're hidden. 

We're trapped.

It's like a dark prison cell. Why are we trying so hard to stay there?

I am a broken pot, but instead of trying to fix everything I have decided instead to be honest about the cracks. I'm open about the brokenness. The more honest I am, the more I see the effects of the light shining in and out. My light is shining on people I wouldn't have seen otherwise - now I am open to them, aware of them. Their light is shining back on me, and I am receiving it. Those are holy moments. Those are "thin places."

We are all broken, but that's okay. That's how our light gets out.