A new addition to the desktop
Long ago, before computers were part of our everyday lives, an icon was a word we associated with religion in general and Orthodox expressions of Christianity in particular. Properly understood, an icon is not a thing to be venerated, but rather it functions as a window which opens onto a greater reality beyond itself. Thus a depiction of Christos Pantocrator, for instance, would lead the worshipper to reflect on the limitless power of Christ who holds the universe (including the icon and the church in which it hangs) in his hands.
Then computers came along, and an icon became a window of a different kind. These little pictograms became instantly recognisable access points to the data or software which they represented. Earlier this week I added an image to my desktop, and it sits there nestled in amongst the familiar icons:
CLICK for full size
The picture shows a young woman, Elaine, and her husband, Neil. Every time it catches my eye, it reminds me of the greater reality behind their story. Life is very tough for them both, and they are meeting their adversity with courage, humour, humanity…and most of all faith. The quote below will give you a flavor of what I mean:
Amidst the tears that are weighted with intense pain and sorrow, there is a joy that beats to a different drum. Because Christ is risen. And, cheesy as it sounds, in my death, I will be more alive than I have ever been. I don’t want to die. I have a desire to fulfill my role as a wife and mother, amongst other things. But I’m not scared to die, and I have Christ, and Christ alone to thank for that.
These are not perfect people, nor are they giants of faith or super-heroes of any kind. They are just very ordinary people trusting in an extraordinary God – and I would encourage you to read their story here.
Puts all those other little icons in perspective, don’t you think?
