There’s a Crack, a Crack In Everything, That’s How the Light Gets In
Favourite Quotes
I first read this quote here on Medium. I read it on David Todd McCarty’s article, ‘A difficult man’ (Published on Oct 22nd 2023). In David’s article he is contemplating whether he is, perhaps, ‘a difficult man’. He uses this quote from Leonard Cohen, ‘There’s a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in’. He quotes Cohen to express that artists are often ‘deeply flawed human beings’. This, he poses, is what makes them artists. It is a fantastic article which I would encourage you to read.
I could not get the quote out of my head.
The quote is from Cohen’s song ‘Anthem’. The metaphor is open to interpretation but for me it cried out the Gospel message. It portrayed the Gospel in such a beautiful way that only a poet’s brokenness could craft.
It is through the cracks, the weaknesses, the pain, the shortcomings, the failure that we can see Christ. We can get so caught up with trying to be perfect. It can be difficult to acknowledge our flaws and say that we are in need of light; that we need someone.
The quote resonates so powerfully with me because I am acutely aware of my imperfections. In my youth I was angry, physically aggressive, cruel, and I often stepped over the line of what…
