A Few Good Stones for Pentecost

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ³And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

What wonderful images are associated with Pentecost: Mighty wind, tongues of fire, the power of the Holy Spirit! At our church, we’re encouraged to wear red, and we blossom out in our assortment of red shirts and blouses, hats, suits, and even shoes. The altar and vestments are all red, and we have a most wonderful butterfly banner that soars over the procession.

Nature has provided us with some wonderful Pentecostal-red stones.

Most obvious, to me anyway, would be some of the jaspers. Red jasper is a most wonderful flame red. It is occasionally found (in smaller sizes) as a smooth, unblemished red. Larger (and to my mind more interesting) stones often have inclusions of black, gray, or silvery hematite, an iron ore with which this stone is always found. Brecchiated or “poppy” jasper is another marvelous red stone. It always comes with dark inclusions.

Carnelian is a form of agate. It has been heat treated since ancient times to bring out the most rich, vivid mahogany red/orange. It’s truly representative of those tongues of fire. Another heat-treated stone is red tiger’s eye. In its natural state, it’s a lovely, warm gold/brown. Add heat to it and you have a deep, rich red with the cat’s eye shadings for which tiger’s eye is well known.

Other festive red stones would include red or peach aventurine (orange), coral (now always dyed), and garnet (comes in a world of reddish hues but is now often dyed).

What a wonderful way to celebrate the power and majesty of the Holy Spirit!