I recently started watching a documentary about the attempted theft of the Millennium Star diamond from the exhibition that was held at the ‘Millennium Dome” in 2000. Who would ever think it was a good idea to exhibit a diamond, let alone one that was said to be flawless in a tent! It was 203.04-carat gem with an estimated worth at the time of £200 million and considered one of the most perfect gems in the world.
In the documentary they showed pictures of the rough diamond as it was found. Looking at it, I was left wondering if I’d come across it, would I have recognised its value and its potential beauty? I think that the truthful answer would be no! Apparently before they even attempted to make the first cut, they created over 100 plastic replicas that they experimented on, so that they could eventually make the stunning diamond that we can see today. The whole process of cutting it and polishing it, took over 3 years to complete.
In the right hands, someone with the skills of a master diamond cutter and the vision and foresight to see the beauty within, the delicate cuts can be made and the true beauty revealed. The other thing that is required is light. If you look at a diamond in complete darkness, no matter how skilled the diamond cutter is, you won’t be able to see it. But when you add a light source, all the facets of the diamond reflect that light and it can be seen in all its beauty.
Too often we make judgement on people or even on ourselves, without knowing the full story, without having the craftsman’s eye for spotting the potential and the beauty within. How many times do we read in the Bible of characters who were written off, because of their upbringing or decisions/actions in their past, but who God called and shaped, they were cleaned, they had rough bits smoothed and they became beacons of light for those around. If I was to list them all, it would be a huge list, some have probably come to mind as you are reading this. I was reminded of Jacob, Moses, Rahab, David, Peter and Paul to name but a few. Plus all those who’ve shone in our churches in more recent years.
It’s good to remember that we are all being worked on. Not one of us is the perfect Millennium Diamond, we’ve all got flaws that require the master craftsman to deal with. We may have some beautiful polished facets, but there are other parts that are still being worked on. This applies just as much to our church leaders as it does to us, remember that they’re not perfect, they have their own issues that they’re facing, but we can call out the beauty within. Pray for them, encourage them and most importantly love them.
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