Previous Post – Chiara House Renovations

This simple phrase in the ad above is known as the most successful slogan of the century.  In one brief sentence, De Beers diamond company managed to connect diamonds to the romantic ideal of endless, timeless, ageless love.  In other words, when people thought of diamond, they would think of true love, thus insuring that diamonds became the standard stone for engagement and wedding rings.  I guess that few people reading this don’t make the strong association between diamond rings and getting married.

What most people don’t realize is that diamonds were a rather uncommon stone for such purposes until the 1930’s, when De Beers, faced with an over abundance of stones, began to find ways of making diamonds seem rare and especially precious.  They proved themselves ruthlessly successful, corner the market and manipulating it to turn record profits based on almost purely perceived value.  Even today, when the production of synthetic diamonds further threatens the value of mined diamond, the lasting heritage of these efforts have protected companies like De Beer remarkable well.

What I find interesting is how little this information changes peoples minds about diamonds, especially those who romantically associate the stone with engagement rings and romantic gifts.  Even when I detail the often scandalous means by which the companies created the market at the expense of consumers, fair markets, etc. the doesn’t dampen peoples enthusiasm at all.  Why?  Because the idea- the romantic ideal and long-embedded familiarity and association- has solidified the love for diamonds into our subconscious.

Now, I am not suggesting that people don’t genuinely like diamond or that we are witless patsies to corporations (not all of us, anyway).  However, we should take genuine notice at how willing many of us are to ignore such details because it threatens deeply held ideas, associations and traditions.  In what other areas of our lives are we passionately devoted to ideas and/or practices that, if understood properly, should lead us to make significant changes?

The church today faces changes and challenges that are unprecedented in human history.  We are being forced, again, to examine our most deeply held beliefs and practices.  Are we willing to give up the romantic ideals which we have invested so deeply in, both in respect to resources and personal integrity?  Are we able to look beyond the threatened impulses we feel when exploring unfamiliar ways of thinking and being the church?  And for those committed to this change, are we willing to extend grace and patience, recognizing that (contrary to some perspectives) not everything must change?