Windows to Heaven and Earth

A Church Iconostasis (Icon Stand)
"In former times, God, without body or form, could in no way be represented. But today, since God has appeared in the flesh and lived among men (as Jesus Christ) I can represent what is visible in God, I do not venerate matter, but I venerate the creator of matter, who became matter for my sake, who assumed life in the flesh, and who, through matter, accomplished my salvation. Never will I cease to honor the matter which brought about my salvation"

- St. John of Damascus
from: "On the Divine Images: Three Apologies against Those Who Attack the Divine Images." (9th Century)

This past Sunday (the first of Great Lent) is commemorated in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Sunday of the "Triumph of Orthodoxy."

Since the 9th century, the church has used this day to remember a period of intense persecution from outside and inside its walls that resulted not only in violence against many faithful Christians, but also destruction of literally thousands of precious and ancient Icons.

ICONS AND OSCARS

Coincidentally, this past Sunday saw also the commemoration of what has to be the crowning event of the world of movies. - The Academy Awards, "Oscar Night."

As I think about the impact of movies to both negatively and positively effect changes in consciousness and to deeply stir the emotions - I see in them an echo of the spirit of Orthodox Icons.


WINDOWS TO THE HEART

Religious Icons are often called "Windows to Heaven" because their purpose is to reveal in "written form" (Icons are traditionally "written" and not painted) the presence or activities of God in the world through His incarnation and saints. They are rich in symbolism and serve as spiritually loaded illustrations of the reality of God in the world. In much the same way, good, well-made, motion pictures are like "Windows to Earth," bringing events and stories to life and inspire emotional responses from deep in our hearts and minds to provoke us to deeper thinking about life - and some even spur us to action, or at least changes of heart about things we had not considered before.

Like the Iconoclastic movement that led to the "war on Iconography" - there is much unjustified blanket condemnation of Hollywood and its so-called "War on Christianity." Often we fail to see the deeper significance of what is revealed through these "Icons" and tend to react in fear or misunderstanding.

Motion pictures, like religious Icons, have the ability to transport us to deeper levels of ourselves. This entails some strong discernment in trying to identify those areas in us that we wish to explore or experience.

Last summer I found myself very much inspired by the film "Superman Returns" - this movie acted as a true Iconic experience of Christ for me, and in fact, based on many articles and reviews that I read - it caused quite a few people to investigate spiritual realities that they had not thought about for a while, or had suppressed. Other films like "Lord of the Rings" and the "Harry Potter" series - inspire us to get "inside ourselves" in similar ways.

The true triumph of Orthodoxy was to re-focus Christianity onto the centrality of Christ and His redemption as being both spiritual AND physical. "God became flesh and dwelt among us." Through Christ matter has been redeemed and has the potential to be divine.

Orthodox Christians do not worship Icons as idols - they venerate them - like we venerate photographs of those we love, and we put them on display in prominent places and even kiss them and talk to them. Admit it - you've kissed a photo of someone you love or admire at least once haven't you??? (Maybe when no one was looking??)

Icons, like movies, or movie stars, are not the real thing that they represent - but they point to the real thing and can "intercede" for us - bringing that reality closer to us.

ICONOCENTRIC WORLD

We live in a society that is filled with icons:

• Icons on our computer screens: that take us into chat rooms or enable us to communicate with real people of flesh and blood.
• Iconic movies: that inspire deep emotional responses to the ways of the world.

Doesn't it make sense then that if we are not iconoclastic about those things that we use every day to experience our physical world, that we shouldn't think negatively about religious Icons, but rather see them as "Windows to Heaven" that help us communicate with the real God?