Carbon

Last night, I we were watching a program on TV that was mentioned diamonds. It started a discussion between Tom and the boys and I. When I was in school (millions of years ago), we learned that diamonds are made from coal. Mr C informed me that I am wrong. Diamonds and coal are both made of carbon. (So much of what was and is taught in schools has changed. If you are my age, instead of global warming, we learned about the coming ice age.)

I was sitting there thinking about my learned falsehood: "diamonds are made from coal under pressure". Diamonds are beautiful, while coal really isn't that pretty. About all the times I have heard the analogy that we are like lumps of coal, and God puts pressure on us to make us into diamonds. Diamonds reflect light, just as we are to reflect the light of Christ.

Now I learn it isn't true at all.
Both diamonds and coal are made of carbon. As in Romans 9:21-22, each was created for its own purpose.

The old analogy may be ruined, "diamonds are coal under pressure", but we need not be ashamed of being coal.
While diamonds are beautiful, they are also hard and brittle. They may cut, grind things down. Coal is softer. It can be used to make a mark, burned to give off heat. It sure doesn't reflect very well, but glows from within when lit. It is more readily available and more useful to the average person than diamonds are.

When we see the diamonds reflecting the light of Christ, we appreciate that they are created to be what they are, and do what they were designed to do. They are brilliant and polished, yet still made of the same substance as coal. Coal, with the energy stored within to bring warmth, to mark the way, to do the work required that allows the diamonds to shine.