👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾Is a #Picture an #Idol?
(Part 2)
Beloved children of the Orthodox faith, grace and peace be unto you in the name of our Lord. Today we continue our meditation on a question that many raise with confusion and accusation: Is a picture an idol? Let us open the eyes of our understanding, so that we may discern the truth handed down by the Church.
The Distinction Between Idols and Holy Icons
An idol and a holy icon are not the same. An idol is the false god that men have fashioned in rebellion against the true God. It is the image of Satan, a counterfeit divinity before which the nations bow. But a holy picture is not fashioned for worship; it serves the worship of the living God. It is a witness to His work, and to His saints who have borne witness to His name.
The ignorant claim: “Many people think that when we bow before an image or kiss it, we are worshiping an idol. But this is a misunderstanding. Even among those outside the Church, such as those who venerate trees, it is not the wood itself they call a god, but the spirit they believe dwells within it. How then can the Church, which firmly condemns idolatry, be accused of worshiping idols? When we honor holy icons, we do not adore the wood or paint, but rather show reverence to the holy person whom the image represents.
Veneration Directed to the Prototype
Consider this: if one bows before an image of the Theotokos, does he say, “Blessed be this wood and paint”? No! He says, “My Lady, intercede for me.” Just as when one kisses the Book of the Gospels, he does not adore parchment and ink, but honors the living Word that dwells therein. So also when we kiss the image, we honor not the lifeless material, but Him whose image is portrayed.
The Necessity of Icons for the Faithful
And what of those who cannot read?, who cannot hear the Scriptures proclaimed with understanding? Will they be cast aside? No. The Church, like a tender mother, gives them pictures, so that with their eyes they may behold the mysteries of God. When they kiss the crucifixion painted before them, is it not like kissing the Gospel itself? Indeed it is.
Do not be deceived, then: the holy icon is not an idol. It is a servant of the Word, a teacher to the unlearned, a window into heaven. Even the pagans confess that when they bow to their tree or stone, they claim to honor a spirit within it. If even they know they are not worshipping bark and dust, shall the Church of Christ be accused of such blindness? Impossible. The God who searches the heart knows well to whom our prayer rises.
The Witness of Scripture
The Lord Himself said: “If my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray and seek my face, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their land.” He who commands us to seek His face also provides means by which we may do so. We may not see Him in flesh as the apostles did, but through icons we behold His works and remember His saving acts. Not the image itself, but the faith behind our prayer is known to God.
The Benefits of Holy Icons
Let us, then, not despise these sacred instruments. They are given to us for many benefits:
1. They gather the mind in prayer.
Who does not know how quickly the mind wanders? But when a Christian kneels before the saints’ icons, his thoughts are drawn back from vanity. He remembers their struggles, their crowns, their steadfastness, and he cries out to God for like faith.
Think of this: when a man gazes upon the picture of a worldly singer or actor, immediately he recalls their songs and performances. So too, when the believer looks upon the saints’ images, he remembers their holy labors. This is no distraction, but a drawing of the image in conscience.
Continues 👇🏾