I heard this NPR story on Sissinghurst Castle Garden and the family who remains on the property...
There is a long history and a sad demise and revolutionary return, although in a different capacity. The strange thing that was said, the thing that caught my attention was that the speaker said, "it is about loss ... decline and failure are built into it ... beautiful failure."
The idea revolved around the gardens becoming overgrown and unkempt. The viewers and keepers take some joy in parts of the garden being neglected and the ruins never truly being restored. There is a hint of ugliness or the unplanned; AND it is celebrated.
It is like this with many things. The unplanned or unexplained, the ugliness or the broken somehow emphasize the beautiful parts because of their stark difference. Sometimes it is a hint of humanity or imperfection ... it is like this with pottery. Often a fingerprint is left to indicate that it was touched by those human hands. The imperfection makes it even more desirable.
I wonder if that is how Jesus feels about us.
