By Sister Joan Liss, SSND
Earlier this year, the Sisters came to our local assembly, each prepared to share one gift which she contributes to the life of our faith community.
At the end of the assembly, each Sister chose a colour from a basket of coloured yarns. I wove the yarns into the “community scarf” shown here. Each yarn is somewhere in the weaving. No man (woman) is an island.
The colours are twirled together to make the whole, so no one colour stands out on its own.
Perhaps this illustrates that one does not go through life alone, uninfluenced by others.
Although no colour changes, its appearance may look different when placed with another colour. Often it is enhanced by the presence of another colour nearby.
Some very pale colours may not be very noticeable alone, but their presence is vital in supporting the stronger colours. They add beauty and variation to the piece of weaving.
The yarns are of various thicknesses and textures. None are identical, though all are blended together.
The warp - the long metallic threads that run the length of the piece of weaving - represents
God who is “entwined” with each of us all through our lives, whether we are aware of HIM/HER or not.
It represents God as Trinity - Father, Son, Spirit - as we relate to God in all these forms at one time or another.
There are several variations of metallic thread – alone or mixed gently with another colour - to represent the various ways of relating to God. We are aware of God's ever-presence to us; His/Her role in our lives.
Finally, if you hold the scarf at various angles, the colours look different. This reminds us that we all may be looking at the same thing but see it differently.
And so we continue to foster life in our local faith community … each Sister weaving her unique gifts and services into the tapestry of SSND Waterdown in 2025.
