From Parasite to Pearl

A parasite can enter your soul from a very young age, but with a smothering of truth, it can become the building block of a pearl.

It wasn’t many words, but they were enough for a parasite to enter the soul and take up space.

There it sat and fed.

It grew and took up space.

It spread talons into the life stream of the small child.

A little microscopic parasitic worm had tunnelled through.

At that stage, they were but a child, but now they were an adult.

The parasite had continued to live and breed.

Pearls and parasites

How is a pearl created?

I used to think it was because a piece of sand and then beautiful layers of pearl would be formed over and around it.

But no, it’s a parasite.

The creation of a pearl begins with a microscopically small parasite drilling through the shell of the oyster.

The majority of natural pearls are formed in oysters as a response to a parasitic intruder. Parasitic organisms like drill worms will burrow through the hard shell of an oyster and trigger its mantle to secrete a barrier around the biological interloper. How Do Oysters Make Pearls?

A little parasite makes its home inside the shell.

To protect itself, the oyster places its mantle over the parasite and secretes layers and layers of calcium carbonate around the parasite to protect itself.

Electron microscopy image of a fractured surface of nacre

This multi-layering eventually forms a beautiful pearl.

What you see, when you look at the beautiful colours of the pearl, are layers and layers of self-protection.

Off the surface of something so small and life threatening, something of beauty can emerge.

The little ones

I remember talking to someone who, as a child, had been sexually abused. He was a little one. A child. A parasite had crept into his soul and taken up residence.

Then there was someone who with an intellectual disability had been made use of another’s pleasure. Another soul, another parasite.

I could go on and on with stories where a parasite had been introduced and never suffocated with love and truth.

Jesús describes children as little ones. Matthew 18:6

Ones that don’t yet have the self-defence mechanisms we have as adults.

We are to protect the little ones.

I have met too many adult ‘little ones’ who have parasites in the soul.

Whether by evil intention or by simply living in a broken world, parasites have found a home.

What do you do with your parasites?

I remember when I farmed sheep, that we would regularly have to medicate our animals to kill any parasites that had made their way into the body.

The parasites would eventually drain the whole life out of the animal. It would be killed from within.

I have had some parasites enter my soul at times.

Little grievances, hurts, cuts, and scars.

With these, I have had to make a choice.

Do I feed them or do I starve them?

Do I continue to feed them with lies? (they like that)

Or do I suffocate them with truth and use them as a building block for a pearl.

Under the mantle

Sweep over it with your mantle
Envelope it with your love
Don’t let it burrow in
Take from me your hope

Make something good
Out of its hideous task
Layer the little worm
Suffocate with pearly glass

Layers of love
Layers of self respect
Layers of truth
Over lay plates of pearl

Rounded I will see
Wisdom pearls created be
Not the hard sharp angles of a bitter soul
But smooth, fine, and parasite free

I surrender to the work
Of the mantle of a man
Who walked this parasitic place
Pearls of wisdom in his hand

Come cover over my every hurt
Transform them in to something good
Pearls of beauty gifts for thee
All contained under shelly hood

One day I will present my pearls
Beauty on you to adorn
Wedding gown
Wedding feast
Silent love kisses oh so sweet

Barry Pearman

Quotes to consider

A good journey begins with knowing where we are and being willing to go somewhere else. Richard Rohr
Changing one’s own behavior is a much more promising strategy than insisting on change from the other. Terrence Real
Yes, “the truth will set you free” as Jesus says (John 8:32), but first it tends to make you miserable. Richard Rohr
Often times we’re looking for nice clear linear logical explanations about why we feel this compulsion and need to give efforts to something. There might not be any explanations other than something within you that says if I don’t head in this direction something within me will die. Rob Bell
A vision we give to others of who and what they could become has power when it echoes what the Spirit has already spoken into their souls. Larry Crabb Connecting
Man lives by affirmation even more than by bread. Victor Hugo Les Misérables
Real encouragement occurs when words are spoken from a heart of love to another’s recognized fear. Larry Crabb
True beauty is measured by the number of pearls within you, not those around your neck. Suzy Kassem

Questions to answer

Can you name a parasite that has been turned into a pearl?
What layers of truth do you need to keep having to re-apply so as the pearl can grow? e.g. ‘I am Loved. I am Held, I am Known’
Have you seen ‘pearls’ in others? How have they been formed?

Formation exercise

If you are able to find a pearl, feel its weight and texture. Focus on the colours and the way light reflects off the surface. Consider the million of layers making up the beauty. What does the pearl want to give you?