A coat of many colours

'Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him.' (Genesis 37:3)

I wonder what you imagine the 'ornate robe' that Jacob gifted to Joseph looked like?

Is it like the fabulous rainbow-coloured cloak of the famous musical? Or is it all natural colours?

I wonder what you think the robe would be made of. Wool, flax, linen, goats' hair?

I wonder if there is a pattern in the weave of the cloth.

Does it have a collar, pleats, folds, gathers or buttons?

More importantly, does it have pockets?

As in most biblical stories, we aren't told this information. To the writer of the text these are just ordinary everyday details that aren't important or relevant to the larger narrative. Everyday items are things that we take for granted and rarely think about in the moment. Imagine looking at photographs taken a hundred years ago of shop fronts and the proud shop owners standing outside. The images allude to a much more detailed story of the time and location, but most of that is forgotten now, as it wasn't documented.

By not including the small details, the writers of biblical texts are cutting out a large part of history, or 'her' story. Women's work makes up a vital contribution to the community, then and now, which is excluded from the history books. Most of this everyday work was undertaken by women, inside the home or tent, around fires, with children running in and out of the tents. The women would share local news, how to bring up the children, pass on craft techniques to the next generation, and so on.

Each village had its own special stitch or weave. Clare Hunter, in her book Threads of Life, says:

'Traditionally, embroidery and dress provided an intricate code of social signalling, each village marking difference in distinctive stitches and patterns, the construction of a garment or sleeve design, the kind of threads used and sewing techniques, colours and motifs. Needlework was a form of detailed genealogy - each motif and stitch had a specific name, each detail on ascribed locality. It encapsulated human diversity in an internal system of personal and intercommunity communication.'

Many of these skills and techniques have been lost with the invention of the spinning wheel and weaving loom. Communities, predominantly female communities, are torn apart in order to fulfil quotas and deadlines. Work is now mostly outside the home and the support system offered by home working is no longer there. Weaving/cloth-making is now a corporate industry - think of fast fashion, where costs and safety are cut at the expense of individuals.

But there are small glimmers of hope: women all over the world are reclaiming their crafting communities. Women are using their craft skills to make themselves seen and heard. In 2016, following the US Presidential Election, two women created the idea of the 'Pussyhat' to wear at demonstration rallies as a visible symbol of solidarity for women's rights, reproductive rights and opposition to the policies of the Trump administration.

'Craftivism' is a slow craft movement started in the UK by Sarah Corbett which uses craft projects as a form of gentle protest to advance social causes. The projects involved use mostly knitting, crocheting or other forms of needlework.

In my craft groups at church, we have participated in a few 'Craftivist' projects, such as embroidering squares with 'Trees for Refugees' to be added to a nationwide installation, 'green hearts' and 'yellow canaries' to highlight climate change. There are many ways to be part of gentle protest using craftivism.

The photograph on the front page is of a piece I made which elaborates my thoughts of feminism and racial justice and how they are woven together through crochet.

Yarn. You will notice that I have used many colours of yarn, and they represent all the different people and faiths around the world. They are random colours but they are interwoven like a tapestry. You might notice some fluffy yarn; this is to remind us to have fun with each other. The piece is bordered top and bottom with green, representing the good green grass that Jesus instructs His disciples to sit on.

Jewels. There are beads scattered over the piece, like jewels. They represent the special occasions and festivals that each group has and enjoys.

Joins. If you look closely, there are places where threads meet other threads. They overlap and support each other. This shows that there are places of commonality in our different groups that can be celebrated.

Gold thread. Finally, there is a golden thread running through the piece, up and down, connecting everyone together. This is the golden thread of harmony of love thy neighbour.

Weaving, whether it be cloth or culture, is a vital part of human existence. Our interconnectedness is often ignored or forgotten, but when we bring everyone together and everyone has an equal part in God's tapestry of life, we create the most joyous and vibrant piece of work that honours and celebrates God's creation.

Sr Lorraine Shorten

Minister of Bath Weston and Bath Coronation Avenue Moravian Congregations

References:

• Clare Hunter, Threads of Life: A History of the World Through the Eye of a Needle (Sceptre, 2019).

• Pussyhat Project: https://www.pussyhatproject.com/.

• Our Story - Craftism Collective: https://www.craftivist-collective.com/our-story/.