Icons – Windows on the Wall

Icons – A window on the wall.  A view to an unseen reality. I love that explanation. I don’t know where I heard it. I am afraid to try to explain too much about icons, for fear of getting it all wrong and leading people astray. I don’t really have a full understanding of what the Icons of the Saints fully represent. But, it is like a portrait of a hero. Not a picture of an idol. It is not to be worshipped, it is to lead us to worship of God, the image of God in the Saint that is portrayed. I would much rather have my kids plaster their rooms with the heroes of The Faith than with images of pop stars, movie stars or sports “heroes”.  

Recently we went to an open house at our kids elementary school. I was shocked and dismayed to see that our daughter’s collage was full of pictures of one of the Jonas Brothers. He is a young kid that has a band with his siblings and a show on Disney channel or Nickelodeon. I didn’t realize that she had been so branded by the hype of those shows. Well, I must admit that I went through all those childhood crushes on teen and pre-teen stars. But wouldn’t it be nice if her admiration was spent on real heroes? Wouldn’t it be lovely if her (everyone’s) mind was full of stories of people who have lived and died for Christ Jesus? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the qualities we looked up to were not fame, good-looks and charisma but the very qualities of our Savior?

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control.

Humble, Servant, Obedient, Holy, Good, The Way, The Truth, The Life…

What would you add to the list?

I hope we can raise our kids to adore Christ. To WORSHIP God; fully, courageously, unashamedly, joyously, disarmingly, contagiously, and other good words like that 🙂  I think that we have found the Church that will help us to do that, God helping us. May His name be glorified in all the earth!