Tuesday, December 25, 2012

our daily rice


There is a simple hymn I learned in Sunday School, which we always sang before meals. It is generally known as the Hibi-no-kate song, and it serves as the equivalent of what, in English, is known as "saying grace." Roughly translated, the words mean: Praise to the God of Grace who provides our daily food.

I was recently asked by a childhood friend to illustrate this song in etegami style, so that it could be printed on dishes and place mats to be given as Christmas presents this year for her friends and family. These are the two designs I came up with. They depict the simplest of Japanese meals--the rice ball.

In Japanese tradition and folklore, the rice ball represents some very basic and precious things. Sometimes it represents a mother's love, other times it represents the difference between starving to death and life sustained for another day. It is the food that we carry with us when we travel.  It provides not only for our own need, but can, and often will, be shared with a hungry stranger. To me, it represents God's day-by-day, unfailing provision of what sustains my life. A sandwich wouldn't convey quite the same significance to me, but maybe it would to you. Or, perhaps there is another food that has the same meaning for you?

7 comments:

  1. Overwhelmed Sadami cried out, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on ... RICE!!" ʚ(ˆ◡ˆ)ɞ Ooops, different? Turn a blind eye, please.

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  2. でびーさんへ

    この1年、どれほどでびーさんの才能に驚かされ、楽しまされたことでしょう。どの絵もあたたかで、でびーさんの人柄が出ています。あふれんばかりのアイデアをまた、来年もまた楽しみにしていますよ。よいお年を。

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  3. Have a long standing love affair with rice balls and your onigiri simply fuel the flame! Lol

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  4. beautiful etegami and a lovely idea for a Christmas gift!

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  5. Beautiful! I suppose it's sort of the Japanese version of "Give us this day our daily bread." But I love the added meaning of a mother's love. Your illustrations of the hymn are wonderful; I'd love to see the dishes and placemats that were created...what a wonderful gift! (And thanks for stopping by; I've been so remiss in my blogging, and it was wonderful to hear from you!)

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  6. A pretty nice gift full of meaning!

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