a shell of a person

This is Joanie, with paper plate 'shells' on her.

A shell can be the hard covering of an egg or nut.

A shell can be the hard protective covering on the back of a tortoise, snail or crab.

A shell can be the frame or a building or other structure

A shell is the external proctective or enclosing cover. Like a house, that holds our belongings and protects our lives. This reminds me of 2 Corinthians 4:7 "We have this treasure from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure. This shows the great power is from God, not from us." Here we as human beings are described as shells, that hold God's belongings and treasure. This sounds so much better and amazing than the stuff that we accumilate throughout our lives. If you have read earlier posts, you would know that my project is about consumption, stuff, things that in the end could become a burden on us, or obsessions. But comparing our bodies as shells like in the 2 Corinth passage, it is a much more exciting concept, actually better than a concept, because it is true.