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Image of the Invisible
by Amy Scott Robinson
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Reviewed by SC Skillman
A beautiful and profound collection of readings from the Old and New Testaments, and reflections both personal and theological for Advent and for the 12 Days of Christmas, which offers several earthly metaphors for the Divine. I loved this book, especially the author’s use of the images of art and craft workers: the processes followed by poet, musician, weaver, potter, clothier, architect, metalworker – it is deeply moving to consider how ingenious and appropriate these metaphors are.
The author also offers imaginative reflections which draw upon her own experiences of daily life, and these were exceptional. I feel she has made me see aspects of the Bible in a new way. One of these, which may seem quite small, is when she writes about epiphany: the visit of the Magi, and their gifts. She mentions that myrrh was not only used to anoint the bodies of the dead but would also have been used as an antiseptic ointment and maybe Mary would have used it to soothe baby Jesus’ nappy rash. This really struck me. In fact, I responded with, ‘How wonderful. What an amazing thought.’ Then she asks whether this shocks us, because that is good: the gifts of the Magi represent God in all his aspects, in the holy, in kingship, in sacrifice and also in the ‘physicality, vulnerability and mortality of the Word made flesh’.
It also beautifully countermands the meme that has gone round the internet, suggesting that if the Magi had been women, they would have brought practical gifts. I have two answers to that:
1) The Bible doesn’t tell us there were three of them and doesn’t tell us they were men. We are simply told they were ‘Magi from the East’. They may have been women, or women may have been among them.
2) Yes, the gifts given were both symbolic AND practical.
A fantastic book and I was also very taken with some of the ideas the author puts forward for group work on the themes of each day. I didn’t follow it through with a group but I will be suggesting some of these ideas to my group for use with other themes in the year.
