Assigned Readings (2)
From
Nature to Creation Ch. 3
Probably one of the most valuable things I have
learned to distinguish between is icons and idols. An icon is a painting of a holy figure, to be
venerated and used as a tool to focus the heart. An icon points us in
the direction of something other than ourselves. An idol is a direct representation
of the deity to be worshipped and is a false god. Idols are whatever the individual
chooses to follow and point back towards yourself. Idols can be anything. Wirzba
writes: “Iconic perception teaches that love is the crucial and most authentic movement
of seeing. Why? Because love, when it is true, resists and refuses the idolatrous
impulse” (pg. 71). Real love, religious or otherwise, is never selfish. Genuine
faith looks for the source, not a secondhand statue. It can be challenging to love the world, and
God for that matter, because we want to love “our version” of them instead of their
true nature. We must give up our preconceptions if we hope to love in the
truest sense. Idols lead to destruction and icons, if used properly, push us towards
the Creator and refiner of love.
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