The oldest icon of Christ Pantocrator, encaustic on panel, c. 6th century (Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai).
(Click on the icon for the larger view.)
Today we had a quiet day at my church. The day was fruitful with new insights on God Incarnate, a favorite subject of mine. During part of our quiet time, the image on the upper left was projected on a screen for us to use to meditate if we so chose...to look through the eyes of the icon to see God, which I found easy, since the eyes compel attention.
Certain family members are going through a difficult period right now, and in answer to one question that was posed to us, 'How do you see God?' my answer at the first moment was, 'Missing'. 'God, where are you in the midst of this mess?' I suppose we were to answer truthfully, even though we answered only to ourselves. I know God is in the midst of the mess, but I don't feel God's presence, and I don't see the results from my prayers that I'd like.
The priest who conducted the day of silence gave us several passages from Scripture to read and then ruminate, as he put it, like a cow chews the cud, swallows, and regurgitates, and then chews again, which I thought was helpful imagery. One of the passages assigned was Revelation 21:1-6.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,Yes, yes, one day, but what about now? And then, as I ruminated, the words struck me with force: ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Right here, right now, God is at work making all things new. Right now, before Christ comes again, God is revealing, moving, changing in relation to all of us involved in the mess, in ways I cannot see, but are nevertheless happening, as I see through the eyes of faith the assurance of things hoped for.
‘See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them;
they will be his peoples,
and God himself will be with them;
he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’
And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.
During part of the quiet time, I strolled through the cemetery behind our church, which is a wonderfully peaceful place. I thought of the appropriateness of the reminders all around me of 'dust to dust' in this first week of Lent. I took pictures, too, of the various types of monuments, which I will post later in a picture essay.
Image from Wikipedia.
