What Does Peacock Fabric Have to Do with Connecting for a Change?

Anyone who has agonized about what picture to buy for an important part of their new home or about what image to use on the opening slide of their powerpoint deck can empathize with the dynamic between authors and their publisher about the cover art!

Connecting for a Change is a deeply personal book for us and we wanted the cover to convey the warmth and organic interconnectedness which we believe is essential to mission strategy. Of course the trend now is opposite: simple, clean eye-catching graphics with a one word title.

As we dismissed the trendy for something organic—and our editor, Connie, was fabulous in the way she listened to us and negotiated with the designers—we were offered a leaf-based cover and the one we ended up with. We loved the rich colors and the intricate weaving together of the fabric. The clincher was the pattern of the fabric itself: peacock feathers.

From Wikipedia:

“Ancient Greeks believed that the flesh of peafowl did not decay after death, and so it became a symbol of immortality. This symbolism was adopted by early Christianity, and thus many early Christian paintings and mosaics show the peacock. The peacock is still used in the Easter season especially in the east. The "eyes" in the peacock's tail feathers symbolize the all-seeing God and - in some interpretations - the Church. A peacock drinking from a vase is used as a symbol of a Christian believer drinking from the waters of eternal life.”

We believe in the resurrection power available to us as Jesus followers, guided by the Holy Spirit. Each time I see the cover, I see hope. What do you see?