The X-Wing Starfighter: one of the most iconic forms in the entire Star Wars universe.
If you were ever swept up in the phenomenon that is Star Wars, you dreamed of piloting an X-Wing. I hate to be a total commercial for Lucasfilm (like I'm not doing that already), but this video (nice hair gents!), produced for the release of the films on Blu-ray, is pretty cool.
That being said, I shudder to use the word iconic. It is so overused today: "iconic pop stars" or "iconic brands." "Iconic" has almost reached the same level of overuse (and misuse) as "literally," "unique," and "seriously" (and "awesome" - mostly by me) (and quotation marks and parenthesis, but I digress). Moreover, the overuse of iconic dilutes the power of actual icons.
Icons in the best Orthodox tradition are powerful tools for prayer and spirituality. I am not an expert on icons, but I am struck and inspired by the prayer that goes into writing (the proper term for creating an icon) an icon and the faithful processes surrounding the use of an icon. Here are a couple of interesting pieces about writing icons:
Writing Icons from Religion & Ethics Newsweekly
Writing a Saint Nicholas Icon by Kate Sterner, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota
And here are a couple of interesting articles about icons themselves:
Icons are windows onto a higher plane. In the same way that an X-Wing reminds someone of Star Wars, a real icon's gilded beauty reminds the viewer of things heavenly. Icons invite contemplation of the image itself: Christ, the Trinity, the Virgin, a Saint, a biblical event, etc. And finally, while praying with an icon, hopefully one experiences the presence of God. Some, while praying with an icon, have had potent, personal theophanies. That being said, I can not properly summarize the theology of icons: they are incredibly complex pieces of liturgical art and demand so much more than a few vague sentences on a random blog. But, I do deeply admire them.
We are surrounded by icons, especially this time of year. The music, nativity scenes, lights, bells, stars, greenery, etc. may seem like tacky clutter or attempts by retailers to get consumers in the mood to buy something. But, these objects are rooted in religious imagery (lights = the light of Christ in a dark season, bells = rejoicing at the birth of Jesus, stars = the Star of Bethlehem (duh), greenery = new life in winter) and can be remembered and celebrated as such. As part of our Advent devotions and preparations for Christmas, when we see lights on the neighbor's house or hear the Salvation Army bell, we can treat them as icons and be reminded of the presence of God. This season, instead of being filled with stress and business, can instead be filled with God because the icons of God are all around. Enjoy and pray.
Have a great day. See you Sunday. Blessed Advent.
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