The Cracked Water Jar
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:24)
• • •
There is an old Chinese parable about a water carrier who had two jars. Each day, he carried the jars on a yoke across his shoulders to bring water to his master’s house. One of the jars was whole, and the other was cracked. By the time he arrived, the cracked jar would always be half-empty, its water having leaked along the way.
One day, the cracked jar spoke to the water carrier, filled with shame. “I feel so guilty,” it said. “I leak water every day, and I fail to do my job properly. Why don’t you replace me with a better jar?”
The water carrier smiled kindly and said, “Tomorrow, as we walk back from the stream, look at the ground along your side of the path.”
The next day, the cracked jar noticed something remarkable. Along its side of the path, flowers were blooming—bright, beautiful flowers that were absent on the other side. The water carrier said, “I have always known about your crack. I planted seeds along your side of the path, and each day, as you leaked water, you helped these flowers grow. Without you, this beauty would not exist.”
What we see as flaws can often hold unexpected purpose. The world may tell us to strive for perfection, but it’s our imperfections—the cracks in our lives—that create beauty, growth, and goodness. Like the cracked jar, we are all vessels, carrying both strengths and weaknesses. And often, it is through those cracks that the light and life flow.
The prophet Amos calls us to let justice and righteousness flow like a mighty stream. Perhaps that stream flows not in spite of our imperfections, but because of them. The cracks in our hearts—our struggles, vulnerabilities, and losses—can water seeds of compassion, resilience, and connection. When we embrace our imperfections, we allow space for healing and for unexpected beauty to emerge.
Today, as you move through your life, consider this: What cracks in your jar are leaking water along the way? What flowers might they be nourishing? Trust that even your imperfections hold meaning and purpose, and that you are part of God’s ongoing work of creating beauty and justice in the world.
We are in this together,
Rev. Cameron Trimble
Reflection Questions
What “cracks” in your life do you struggle to accept? How might they be creating unexpected beauty?
In what ways can you let the “water” of your life flow into acts of compassion and connection?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for Embracing Imperfection
Loving Creator,
You know the cracks in my life, the places where I feel less than whole.
Help me to see these imperfections not as failures,
But as channels for Your light and love to flow through me.
Teach me to trust that even my broken places have purpose.
May I bring beauty and goodness into the world,
Not in spite of my cracks, but because of them.
Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Seeing Beauty in the Cracks
Reflect on one area of your life where you feel imperfect or “cracked.” Write about how this part of you might have created beauty, connection, or growth in unexpected ways.
As you go through the day, look for small ways to “leak water”—acts of kindness or moments of vulnerability that might nourish the world around you. As you do, remember the flowers along the path of the cracked jar, and trust that even in your imperfections, you are part of something beautiful and holy.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
November 21, 12-1pm ET - Advent After the Election - What does it mean to step into the season of Advent on this side of the 2024 Presidential election? If you are a pastor, how do you intentionally engage this impending season with an awareness of the cultural and political landscape we find ourselves in? Register for the conversation here.
November 21 - 7-9:00pm ET - What Buddhism and Christianity Can Teach Us About Gratitude: A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Isa Gucciardi and Rev. Cameron Trimble. Find out more here.
December 1 - 4-5:30pm ET - FREE Online webinar with Rev. Jim Dant - “Understanding the Development of the Christmas Nativity Stories Through the Lens of Jewish Midrash (What You Were NOT Taught in Sunday School).” Register here.
July 20-25, 2025 - The Art of Wilding: A 5-Day Expedition in Wyoming for Women Leaders. Click here to learn more.