The Envious Dog

In the Middle ages, each of the Seven Deadly Sins had an animal designated as being symbolic of that particular poor choice. Different storytelling traditions designated a variety of creatures to each particular sin. The dog was a common symbol of envy, owing to its tendency to want whatever another dog might possess at the time. In our story, a dog steps out of the canine-envy world and is jealous of a butterfly for its apparent freedom compared to the dog's life within a fenced-in backyard. (Image from the book, "The Seven Very Bad Choices; A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins")

The Green Man

The Green Man has been a symbol in many religions of the unity of humankind with all of creation. The image can be seen carved in various places of some of the great cathedrals of Europe. In early church architecture, sculptures of a human face with sprouting leaves symbolized new life and continued growth through Christ. It is also a symbol today of our relationship with nature and our responsibility to preserve and protect all of Creation.

The Woodpecker

In the early days of Christianity in Central Europe, the Woodpecker became honored as the symbol of a life spent in constant prayer because of its persistent hammering. As the defeater of the worm, which represented evil, the woodpecker was also a Christ figure.

Anna and the King

We don't know just how old Anna was, but we do know that she had been married at one time for seven years and then lived as a widow for eighty-four years. The story in Luke simply mentions that she was very old and also was a prophet who spent most of her life at the Temple in prayer. When she saw the infant Jesus, she proclaimed him the Redeemer of his people. It is interesting that the Greek Scripture writers didn't identify many people as prophets, but at least five of them were women: Anna and the four daughters of Philip. (Image from Prints of the Prophets)