The famous weavings of the Navajo Indians include what they call the Spirit trail in which the weaver deliberately forms a break in the pattern. It’s the artist’s way of letting the weaving take on a life of its own, allowing the unpredictable to enter into the tapestry. Similarly, the Amish people always include three imperfections in their works of art, and Islamic metal workers also build in some flaw to their creations. For them, the flaws are placed there to remind us that only God is perfect and all human creations are flawed. But for the Navajo, the Spirit trail is a positive flaw that celebrates the fact that what the human mind may see as a mistake is actually a way in which God may enter our lives and create something better.
It’s what the Bible means when it says: ‘God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.’