In this lavishly illustrated book by Anita Mathias, Francesco,
artist of Florence, creates magic in pietre dure, inlaying precious
stones in marble in life-like paintings. While he works, placing
lapis lazuli birds on clocks, and jade dragonflies on vases, he is
purely happy. However, he must sell his art to support his family.
Francesco, who is incorrigibly soft-hearted, cannot stand up to his
haggling customers. He ends up almost giving away an exquisite
jewellery box to Signora Farnese s bambina, who stands, captivated,
gazing at a jade parrot nibbling a cherry. Signora Stallardi uses
her daughter s wedding to cajole him into discounting his rainbowed
marriage chest. His old friend Girolamo bullies him into letting
him have the opulent table he hoped to sell to the Medici almost at
cost. Carrara is raising the price of marble; the price of gems
keeps rising. His wife is in despair. Francesco fears ruin. * * *
Sitting in the church of Santa Maria Novella at Mass, very worried,
Francesco hears the words of Christ. The lilies of the field and
the birds of the air do not worry, yet their Heavenly Father looks
after them. As He will look after us. He resolves not to worry. And
as he repeats the prayer the Saviour taught us, Francesco resolves
to forgive the friends and neighbours who repeatedly put their own
interests above his. But can he forgive himself for his own
weakness, as he waits for the eternal city of gold whose walls are
made of jasper, whose gates are made of pearls, and whose
foundations are sapphire, emerald, ruby and amethyst? There time
and money shall be no more, the lion shall live with the lamb, and
we shall dwell trustfully together. Francesco leaves Santa Maria
Novella, resolving to trust the One who told him to live like the
lilies and the birds, deciding to forgive those who haggled him
into bad bargains--while making a little resolution for the future.
About the author Anita Mathias is the author of Wandering Between
Two Worlds (isbn: 0955373700, Benediction Classics, 2007). She has
won a writing fellowship from The National Endowment for the Arts,
and her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The London
Magazine, Commonweal, America, The Christian Century, and The Best
Spiritual Writing anthologies. Anita lives in Oxford, England with
her husband and daughters. She blogs at Dreaming Beneath the
Spires. You can find her on Twitter @anitamathias1 or on Facebook
at Dreaming Beneath the Spires."
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