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Thank you so much for the ping to your sidebar with kosta50!

I will address only one part of it to consider once again a metaphor we have previously discussed, namely the foundation stones of the New Jerusalem as described in the book of Revelation.

Each of the gemstones has a different color. Moreover, the color of a stone is determined by how much light is absorbed v passed through v. reflected off the surface.

Rubies, emeralds and sapphires – for instance – let some light through but absorb quite a bit in the process. Opals are translucent and the onyx reflect light off the surface but are dark inside. Diamonds allow the most light to pass through – but they too can be different colors. But the clearest of the diamonds disappear when dropped in water.

The gemstones to me are metaphors for how we choose to live in God's Light.

My prayer is to be like a diamond, i.e. that His Light may shine through me unobstructed. Even so, I'll be happy to end up as an amethyst. LOL!

The stones and colors in Revelation 21:

Jasper - green or clear
Sapphire – blue
Agate – circles of brown and white
Emerald – green
Onyx – bands of color
Carnelian – deep red or reddish white
Chrysolite – olive green
Beryl – green or bluish-green
Topaz – yellow
Chrysoprase – apple green
Jacinth – reddish orange
Amethyst – deep purple

You know the gemstones in Revelation relate to the breastplate of the High Priest.. and Urim and Thummin.. In the Holy Place they were for communication.. between God and man.. No doubt in revelation too.. The 12 breastplate gemstones also represented the 12 Hebrew consonants.. the vowels were assumed(jots and tittles).. Gemstones were biblically for communication.. The metaphorical nature of gemstones are pregnant in the Bible...

Also are precious metaphors when Gods children are represented as gemstones.. to miss the metaphorical nature of these things is to miss much..

i.e The Spirit/spirit being light that lights the gemstones.. is more real than metaphor, I think.. Humans not born again are stones, but born again become precious stones(gemstones).. The church is made of stones.. The Bride of Christ is made of Gemstones.. communicable with the head.. The metaphor is rich and deep and not anyway nearly fully displayed among us..

Thanks for your kind reply, Dear Heart,

I think I understand well your logic.

You seem rather firmly rooted in the notion that the clear glass/lucite/diamond pipe is best and allows the most of God to flow thru most purely etc.

Perhaps the analogy just breaks down at some point.

Perhaps God has a different priority than assumed.

Have you noticed the gemstones mentioned in the foundation stones you listed?

There's no diamond.

There's no purely clear stone.

Evidently God has a different priority list.

PERHAPS GOD ALMIGHTY LIKES color in HIS gemstones, more.

He COULD have created us all as clear glass/lucite/diamond pipes.

He did not.

St Paul at his best; John the Beloved at their best; Roland Buck at his most saintly; . . . all . . . even face to face with God Almighty . . . Roland was still Roland. And God delighted in him.

There are likely mysteries here . . . but I remain convinced that the solution is NOT the obliteration of personality. That doing so would be offensive to God as very counter to what He's about with us mortals.