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Page 1 of 5 I, as most Protestants I know, was raised to believe that the icons in Orthodox churches were idols, and I was never taught the historical purpose and use of this form of “visual theology.” And yet, their beauty and mystery always intrigued me.
Over the last ten years I have come to be interested in the icons of the Greek and Russian Orthodox churches. The placid and sometimes stern features of Christ and the saints, and the gilded depictions of Biblical scenes have increasingly attracted those of us who are searching for ways to fill our lives with sacred objects. And I am not alone in my curiosity. One can find copies of icons in nearly every Christian bookstore, and books about icons are numerous. As I have studied icons and incorporated them into my prayer life, I have come to see them not as idols, but as fingers pointing to God, which is what they are created to be.
I want to give you some scriptures that speak about icons: Colossians 1:15: “Christ is the image of the invisible God;” Hebrews 1:3: “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being;” Genesis 1:26: “Let us make man in our image;” and Jesus himself said, “If you have seen me you have seen the Father.”
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