> > Brunnen-"could also refer people to that line about sparrows falling, and/or Julian of Norwich's hazelnut vision"G
>

BG: Your interpretation sounds something like The Velveteen Rabbit, in which a child's love gives a toy's existence meaning (and maybe even an eternal soul, but it's been too long for me to remember that well):

"'Love makes you real,' the beautiful rocking horse said to the Veleteen Rabbit. 'When a child loves you for a long, long time--not just to play with, but really loves you--then you can becaome real.'"

The continuing metaphysical question: Is a person (or thing, perhaps) significant because God loves one, or does God love one because one is significant?

Believing in the Creator, i think existence confirms significance, because a thing could, otherwise, have been left unmade.

Penny *replied to this one instead of to B_G's, because there was much less to delete here--WebTV is still Da EVal* stamp