New Name Because of Inclusions

Now here’s how you can tell if someone is a gemology geek:

Friend, “I splurged and bought a new puppy.”

Geeky Me, “Great! I splurged and got a new gemstone microscope.”

I love my microscope. I can look closely at gemstones and see internal inclusions. Inclusions are the fuzzys, flakes, featherings, horsetails, lily pads, and other extra stuff inside the otherwise clear stone.

Now usually we don’t want inclusions. In diamonds – carbon spots – no, no. But in some gemstones it is an identifying mark that they are real and not fake, or they are the indications from where they came. And in some gemstones they make them, well, just pretty.

Now quartz… is quartz… is quartz. But when it has inclusions of hematite (red and silvery black flakes and ribbons) it gets a new name. It is then called “Strawberry Quartz.” It’s a pretty name for a pretty little stone. And the inclusions are what give it a new name. (OK, finished being geeky.)

When I was thinking about having a new name because of inclusions, I thought of me. And not just me, but other people like me now and in centuries past. You see, people started believing in Jesus Christ as the forgiver of their inclusions (sins) and started following His teachings as the Son of God. They admitted their inclusions and admitted that Jesus Christ forgave inclusions. Were the inclusions gone? No, just forgiven. And the people around them saw a difference and gave them a new name – Christians. That means “followers of Christ” or little wanna be Christs, or we just want everyone to see Christ in us first and start with that in our name.

Acts 11: 21- 26

And the hand of the Lord was on them, (They were refugee believers fleeing persecution and going to Antioch.)

and on a great number who believed in the Lord. (These were the refugee’s converts.)

The report came to ears of the church in Jerusalem (They wondered if this was real.)

and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. (He was supposed to figure out what was going on.)

When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them to stay faithful to the Lord with a steadfast purpose (He told them to keep living following Jesus and telling others.)

because he was a man full of the Holy Spirit of faith. (Barnabas could tell that their belief was real.)

And a great many people were added. (There were a growing number of believers in Christ.)

So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Paul and found him and brought him to Antioch. (And said, “Hey, man, you gotta see this.”)

For a whole year they met with the church and taught many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. (People came up with a name for these Christ followers that was easier to say than “these little Christ followers who have given their life to live the Jesus way and are very different from the rest of us.")

*All the (  )’s are mine.

We have inclusions.

We have believed in Jesus the Christ who has forgiven our inclusions.

We have given our lives to follow this Savior.

We have a new name because of this.

And it’s not “strawberry quartz!”