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Icons: Our Windows to Heaven
In 987.A.D., Prince Vladimir of Kievan Rus sent envoys throughout the
Near East to study their respective religions so he could determine which
was the best for his people. Whether he did this sincerely, to unify his
people or for purely political reasons, God only knows. But the chronicles
recorded the reaction of he and his emissaries to the major religions of the
neighboring nations of that time. The Muslim Bulgarians were quickly
dismissed due to their ban on the consumption of alcoholic beverages and
eating of pork. The Jews quickly fell out of favor because their loss of
Jerusalem to the Ottoman Empire was interpreted as evidence that their
religion had been abandoned by God. And his emissaries saw no beauty in
the Catholic churches of the Germans. The representatives of Vladimir,
however, famously described their attendance in Constantinople at the
Divine Liturgy at The Hagia Sophia: "We no longer knew whether we were
in heaven or on earth; nor such beauty, and we know not how to tell of
it." Vladimir was baptized the following year and is credited with the
Christianization of Kievan Rus or the Conversion of the Slavs. He
established many churches and monasteries, including some on Mt. Athos.
Interestingly, St. Vladimir's envoys felt as if they were in heaven on earth
or if they had been carried off to the heavenly realm. It is for this reason
that Orthodox Christians refer to icons as "Windows to Heaven." Sure, they
make us mindful that we are in God's house and help us direct our minds
and hearts to prayer. But they are much more than reminders of the
spiritual world, visual aids and historical images of Christ and his followers.
They provide entry to our hearts and minds into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Icons provide believers with the living witness of Christ and our heroes
and role models in the Faith who now live with him in eternity in Heaven.
Do we not believe that when we celebrate the Divine Liturgy, it is being
celebrated in Heaven along with us? It is this "cloud of witnesses" who
cheer us on as we strive to run and finish "the race that is set before
us." (Hebrews 12:1). This, then, is how icons and our Orthodox worship
enable us to take part in the "Communion of the Saints."
There have been some throughout the course of history and yet today
who, through ignorance and prejudice, criticize the existence and use of
icons. They allege that we "worship" icons. Orthodox Christians are taught
from the earliest age that worship is reserved for God alone, but we honor
the Theotokos and Saints. We do not, however, worship the painted piece
of wood or canvas. Rather, we venerate them as an act of devotion,
intending that this honor passes on to the person or act represented by
the image. How many of us carry photos of of loved ones in our wallets or
have framed photos of them at home that we have kissed to show our love
and devotion to them? Likewise, we do not worship the wooden or metal
cross that hangs around our necks or on our walls, but the One who was
crucified upon it.
Such criticism may be attributable to a misunderstanding or
misinterpretation of the Second Commandment's admonition against
making graven images. It reads:
"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any
thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in
the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them,
nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation of them that hate me: And showing mercy unto thousands of
them that love me, and keep my commandments." Ex. 20:4-6.
First, Orthodox icons are not three-dimensional, like statues. But, more
importantly, this commandment read in it's entirety clearly contains the
joint instruction to not image things which are: 1) limited to Heaven and
unseen; and, 2) representations of earthly things (e.g., the golden calf)
for the purpose of worshipping them (Exodus 20:5). The first condition
explains why the image of God the Father is properly not seen in Orthodox
iconography. Chopping off text, and taking passages out of context and
juxtaposing them with unrelated passages have historically not only been
the basis of false teaching, but also the creation of many new
denominations and churches.
Fr. Peter E. Gillquist, in his wonderful booklet which defends major points
of Orthodox Christian Faith, Making America Orthodox, goes on to argue
that there is an Old testament basis for Holy images:
"In Exodus 25, God gives His divine blueprint, if you will, for the
tabernacle. Specifically in verses 19 and 20, he commands images of
Cherubim above the mercy seat. Also, God commanded and enforced, a
strong veneration of the Ark of the Covenant.
In Exodus 26:1, Israel was commanded in no uncertain terms to sew
'artistic designs of cherubim' in the tabernacle curtains. Are these
images? Absolutely! But they are images God commanded."
Our Holy Tradition holds that St. Luke was an iconographer and, in fact,
wrote the first icon. It was of the Most Holy Theotokos Directress or
Hodigitria, and it is referred to in the Paraklesis to the Theotokos:
"Speechless be the lips of impious ones,
Those who do not reverence
Your great icon, the sacred one.
Which is called Directress
And was depicted for us
By one of the apostles,
Luke the Evangelist."
Icons depict, first, Christ and his mother, the Most-Holy Theotokos. Next,
the Old Testament Prophets and events occurring before the birth of Christ
(Readers are invited to visit the icon gallery to see the
beautiful icons of The Creation in our baptismal chapel). New Testament
and contemporary saints and martyrs, along with angels, are frequently
depicted in Orthodox iconography. Finally, icons represent Christ's miracles
and events described in the New Testament. In the early centuries, much
of the populace throughout the Holy Land was uneducated and even
illiterate. It cost money to pay for an education, and few could afford it.
Icons, then, served to teach people who could not read about Jesus Christ
and his teachings, the Mother of God, the apostles, saints and events in
their lives. Thus, icons are theology — the study of God — because they
taught and continue to teach theology, which literally means the word of
God.
The Seventh Ecumenical council was held in 787 A.D. in Nicea, which is
present-day Iznik, Turkey. It resulted in the restoration of icons, but not
before it debated several deep theological issues. Most of the credit is
attributed to St. John of Damascus, who said, in part:
"Concerning he charge of idolatry: icons are not idols, but symbols.
Therefore, when an Orthodox venerates an icon, he is not guilty of
idolatry. He is not worshipping the symbol, but merely venerating it. Such
veneration is not directed toward wood, or paint or stone, but towards the
person depicted. Therefore relative honor is shown to material objects, but
worship is due God alone. We do not make obeisance to the nature of
wood, but we revere and do obeisance to Him who was crucified on the
Cross... When the two beams of the Cross are joined together I adore the
figure because of Christ who was crucified on the Cross, but if the beams
are separated, I throw them away and burn them."
For the full text of St. John of Damascus' classic writing In Defense of
Icons, please visit this link:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/johndam-icons.html.
The following is the final declaration of faith by the council concerning the
veneration of the holy images:
It was determined that "As the sacred and life-giving cross is everywhere
set up as a symbol, so also should the images of Jesus Christ, the Virgin
Mary, the holy angels, as well as those of the saints and other pious and
holy men be embodied in the manufacture of sacred vessels, tapestries,
vestments, etc., and exhibited on the walls of churches, in the homes, and
in all conspicuous places, by the roadside and everywhere, to be revered
by all who might see them. For the more they are contemplated, the more
they move to fervent memory of their prototypes. Therefore, it is proper
to accord to them a fervent and reverent adoration, not, however, the
veritable worship which, according to our faith, belongs to the Divine
Being alone — for the honor accorded to the image passes over to its
prototype, and whoever adores the image adores in it the reality of what is
there represented."
Orthodox Christianity is fond of saying that it has "the fullness of the
faith." Icons, then, are a vital part of this rich treasury of doctrine, worship
and belief. They truly glorify God, to whom is due ALL glory, worship,
thanksgiving and honor!
Visit the following site, which contains 59 links to iconographers and other
sites to view or purchase icons, as well as 8 educational articles about
icons. http://aggreen.net/iconography/icons.html
Icons of St. Luke and St. John of Damascus courtesy of www.eikonografos.com used with permission
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