Isn't Orthodoxy joyous…

…and yet solemn, all at the same time? Everything is so full of Light, full of the Word in spirit and in truth, full of beauty.

When I blog I try to find good images to add to the blog—ikons, paintings, photographs of people, places, nature—to mitigate the boring monotony of some of the things I write about. Sometimes I just scroll through and look at the pictures, and remember. They are all ikons, really, not just the ones that are written to be ikons. And to me, ikons are pure beauty, because they all point to the One Who made all things and who lovingly pours His life out for us at every moment, sustaining the world faithfully by His word of command.

How good our heavenly Father is, for even when we have to suffer, if we faithfully seek Him, He fills our open hands, hearts, lips and minds with good things. He pours abundantly, He showers us with His blessings, yet sometimes in self-pity or self-loathing, we turn away. How many times more we turn away from Him, than we feel He turns away from us. In reality, He never turns away, but sometimes He lets go our hands, to let us remember how much we need Him, sometimes even to see how strong we’re becoming.

He wants us to grow up to be just like His Only-begotten Son, our “heavenly elder brother” as the Chinese Taiping emperor Hong Xiuquan used to call Him. It’s not impious to think thus, as long as one is grounded in the truth handed down by the holy prophets and apostles, and does not wander off on flights of fantasy caused by ignorance of the Bible.

What is sweeter to the soul or more precious to the heart of man than God’s Word? Every day He accompanies us, speaking His truth and life into us moment by moment. In His written ikon, the Bible, and especially in the book of the Psalms, are to be found all things necessary for life in this world, and in the world to come, and the word of Life…

God, You are my God, I am seeking You,
my soul is thirsting for You,
my flesh is longing for You,
a land parched, weary and waterless;
I long to gaze on You in the Sanctuary,
and to see Your power and glory.

Your love is better than life itself,
my lips will recite Your praise;
all my life I will bless You,
in Your name lift up my hands;
my soul will feast most richly,
on my lips a song of joy and, in my mouth, praise.

On my bed I think of You,
I meditate on You all night long,
for You have always helped me.
I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings;
my soul clings close to You,
Your right hand supports me…

Psalm 63: 1-8 Jerusalem Bible

Psalms for the 12th Day
62 63 64 65 66 67