Wow I clicked on your post because I have spend time in Ireland on 2 occasions and neither of them did I walk down the street to Trinity College and take the time to check out the book of Kells. I won't say it's something I regret missing, but rather something I will do at a later date. Ireland isn't so far away anyhow!
I also found it interesting to know that Cali has the Getty that houses the some illuminated manuscripts, I am actually going to Malibu in July for the wedding of the girl who I travelled to Ireland with on both occasions. Perhaps July I will venture over to the Getty and check out these illuminated manuscripts, I will be happy to compare them to the book of Kells next time I am in Ireland.
Anyhow this was an amazing read, I was thinking as I read it I could never imagine taking the time to do all of that tedious work and all for one book. I was really envisioning sitting there day after day dipping my stick into my pot and slowly scrolling each letter of each word until one day comes years later and I am! But now what, I have completed this masterpiece and I don't even have ownership of it.
I have often thought about cathedrals and how devastating it is that people who come up with these amazing works never see them through, they never see the light shining through the stained glass, never see the buttresses flying along the sides, never hear the bells ring above or see the people worshiping inside. They give their life to this work but with no satisfaction of seeing their life'swork completed?
My simple math on this equation was missing! I know that people of earlier days were all god fearing but to be honest I did not really think about how much it impacted our great masterpieces. How influential god really was on perfecting these works of art! So selfless in this life for the promise of all your desires fulfilled the next life. Such an interesting concept.