The Book of Kells

512 Christianity and Literature The Book of Kells At dawn they rose from straw mats, gave thanks for a sea clear of Viking sails, and bent their bodies to eke life from a rugged, lonely coast. And yet they set themselves, this group at the edge of the gospels’ spread, to a task of gratuity, to copy every stroke of their good news. This book gave eternity to each day’s tasks, fed the community who believed its words communicated life. They wove three-dimensional patterns of vibrant ink into pages that only seem flat, testifying to the endless depth of the text they shared. People and animals still wander through these patterns, forming lines of witnesses to the revelation of the word. Jeffrey Bilbro ...