"Upbuilding discourses in various spirits"

When a woman works on a cloth for sacred use, she makes every flower as beautiful, if possible, as the lovely flowers of the feild, every star as sparkling, if possible, as the twinkling stars of the night; she spares nothing but uses the most precious things in her possession; then she disposes of every other claim on her life in order to purchase the uninterrupted and opportune time of day and night for her sole, her beloved, work. But when the cloth is finished and placed in accordance with its sacred purpose - then she is deeply distressed if anyone were to make the mistake of seeing her artistry instead of the meaning of the cloth or were to make the mistake of seeing a defect instead of seeing the meaning of the cloth. She would not work the sacred meaning in the cloth; she would not embroider it on the cloth as an additional ornament. The meaning is in the beholder and in the beholder's understanding when, faced with himself and his won self, he has in the infinite remoteness of separation infinitely forgotten the needlewoman and her part. It was permissible, it was fitting, it was a duty, it was cherished duty, it was a surpeme joy for the needlewoman to do everything in order to do ehr part, but it would be an offense against God, an insulting misunderstanding to the poor needlewoman, if someone were to make the mistake of seeing what is there but is to be disregarded, what is there-not to draw attention to itself but, on the contrary, only so that its absence would not disturbingly draw attention to itself.

(S. Kierkergaard, 1847:117)