Translations

At the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum someone called my attention to a medieval object; a ball made out of palmwood, which was divided into two halves. Both halves were cut out subtly, so that very clearly all kinds of pictures such as the birth and crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ could be seen, and they were able to hinge like a little cupboard. The whole object was hidden in a copper ball, and was finally put in a little bag of leather; the gospel in a nutshell. It was obviously made to carry with you while travelling. Several years later I was challenged to breathe new life into the prayer-nut. At present it is flat and ‘blank’ but you can write down your prayer-subjects by just using a name, date, symbol etc. As the nut is easily to be put away, you can always carry your prayers with you. When your prayer is answered, or you feel it’s time to remove a specific prayer-subject, you can just erase it with some sandpaper, and there will be room for something new.