Diamonds In The Rough
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle B
Object:
Diamonds In The Rough
For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. (vv. 6-7)
The hardest and most valuable substance in the world is diamond. Diamonds are formed by intense heat at the earth's core and pushed up through volcanic pipes of molten rock called "kimberlite." When discovered, a diamond is encased in a stone matrix. This is what is known as "a diamond in the rough."
The diamonds must be sorted from the other materials. This process relies primarily on the diamond's high density. An old but effective method is to use a washing pan, which forces heavy minerals like diamond to the bottom while the waste floats to the top. The process uses a crushed ore and muddy water mixture, called puddle. A circular washing pan with angled rotating blades stirs everything. Heavier minerals settle to the bottom and are pushed out. Lighter waste rises to the top and overflows.
With 99 percent of the waste in the ore removed, further separations may use either a grease table or an x-ray separator. The surface of diamond sticks readily to grease, beeswax, and paraffin. Diamonds stick to the grease while wetted waste minerals flow past. Using a trowel, the operator routinely scrapes the material that adheres to the table into a grease pot. The grease in the pot is melted and the diamonds are removed in a strainer. Final separation and sorting is done by eye.
In order to be useful as gemstones, it must go through a process of cleaning, sawing, cutting, and polishing. This removes the worthless sediments and brings out the fire and brilliance of the stone. Diamond cutting is done according to a plan that will eliminate imperfections like cracks, flaws, and cloudiness, and will produce a gem of the greatest size, best appearance, and hence maximum value.
In much the same way, Christians are "diamonds in the rough." God's message of salvation is the treasure that is encased in our fragile flesh -- the clay jars of our bodies. And despite our imperfection, God entrusts us as the bearers of the wonderful treasure of grace. God is willing to work with us -- to look past the imperfections and see the brilliant gem beyond the kimberlite and sediment, and with God's polishing, we can let Christ shine through us.
For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. (vv. 6-7)
The hardest and most valuable substance in the world is diamond. Diamonds are formed by intense heat at the earth's core and pushed up through volcanic pipes of molten rock called "kimberlite." When discovered, a diamond is encased in a stone matrix. This is what is known as "a diamond in the rough."
The diamonds must be sorted from the other materials. This process relies primarily on the diamond's high density. An old but effective method is to use a washing pan, which forces heavy minerals like diamond to the bottom while the waste floats to the top. The process uses a crushed ore and muddy water mixture, called puddle. A circular washing pan with angled rotating blades stirs everything. Heavier minerals settle to the bottom and are pushed out. Lighter waste rises to the top and overflows.
With 99 percent of the waste in the ore removed, further separations may use either a grease table or an x-ray separator. The surface of diamond sticks readily to grease, beeswax, and paraffin. Diamonds stick to the grease while wetted waste minerals flow past. Using a trowel, the operator routinely scrapes the material that adheres to the table into a grease pot. The grease in the pot is melted and the diamonds are removed in a strainer. Final separation and sorting is done by eye.
In order to be useful as gemstones, it must go through a process of cleaning, sawing, cutting, and polishing. This removes the worthless sediments and brings out the fire and brilliance of the stone. Diamond cutting is done according to a plan that will eliminate imperfections like cracks, flaws, and cloudiness, and will produce a gem of the greatest size, best appearance, and hence maximum value.
In much the same way, Christians are "diamonds in the rough." God's message of salvation is the treasure that is encased in our fragile flesh -- the clay jars of our bodies. And despite our imperfection, God entrusts us as the bearers of the wonderful treasure of grace. God is willing to work with us -- to look past the imperfections and see the brilliant gem beyond the kimberlite and sediment, and with God's polishing, we can let Christ shine through us.
