The St. John's Bible-JOB

Job Frontispiece and Incipit, 2006

 Job 1:1-2:5

 Donald Jackson

 Scribes: POETRY- Brian Simpson; 
TEXT- Susan Leiper

Vellum, with ink, paint, silver and gold

"In this illustration we see a portrayal 

of Job's world at the beginning of the narrative. 

Reading the depiction from left to right, 

his world of riches and well-being descends

 into cha.
os as messengers announce

 to Job each misfortune that has befallen

 him in order to test his faith. The slender bars 

of gold and silver, meager as they are, 

represent God's presence.

The quotation on the opposite page

 is Job's response,

"Shall we receive the good 

at the hand of God and not receive the bad?"

When our world crumbles,
and we have descended into chaos-
look for the slivers of God's presence-
 they are ALWAYS there.