So I broke down and got a 50mm lens. I had been curious as to why so many people use it for portrait shots and such. Now that I've been playing with it, I can certainly see why.

Having done calligraphy as religious art for 17 years now, I have finally tried my hand at another highly traditional art form of the church: icons. Icons are windows into heaven, and are not meant to be relatistic representations of the figures, but more stylized forms that allow the viewer to center and contemplate the figure represented and beyond.

I've always found it interesting that iconographers "write" icons, whereas we calligraphers draw letters. In either case, the procedures for both are fairly strict, and both are exceptionally meticulous. The process of writing an icon is rich in symbolism. For instance, once the wood board is prepared for painting, the base coat of dark earth red is layered over the board. From that point on, the icon is built up layer by layer with dilute acrylic (or traditionally with tempura) always going from darker colors to lighter - this represents our own journey in life from darkness into the Light of God. Of course, before the icon is even begun, the iconagrapher must prepare him/herself through prayer and fasting.

Writing an icon can take anywhere from a week to several months, especially if tempura is used because of the long drying times. And because of the translucent layers going from dark to light, an icon may require hundreds of layers before it is finished.

Historically, icons have been somewhat controversial within the Church. On the one hand, you have those that read the icons as a form of prayer and centering. Showing reverence to an icon is a matter of showing reverence to what the icon represents and can inspire within us. On the other hand, there are those who see icons as merely idols and directly contrary to monotheistic religion - these are the iconolcasts. There have been several iconoclast persecutions throughout Church history in which the iconoclasts gained strength and imperial or military backing. Most notably, iconoclasm resurged in the 8th to 9th centuries and from the 16th century there after following the protestant reformation.

Unforntunately, iconoclast usually disparage icons and those who use them because of what they are assuming of the situation. Hardly would anyone who uses icons say they are worshipping an icon because it is God. We use icons because it is a means to focus on and worship God. Iconoclasts believe that our worship goes as far as the icon, when in fact it goes through and beyond the icon.

Nonetheless, I have always found icons to be beautiful works of art and tremendous tools for prayer. Now that I've tried my hand at one, I think I'll be writing many more in the future.

I have a great fondness for the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema here in Atlanta. I count myself very lucky to have this theatre around as it is one of the only venues here in Atlanta that shows the greater variety of independent and more influential films that are being produced today. Last night, Br. Addison and I went to see the new documentary on Hunter S. Thompson. That alone will be topic for a later post. But to my great surprise, I saw a preview for a new film by Parvez Sharma (Director) and Sandi DuBowski (the same producer of “Trembling Before G-d”.

As with DuBowski’s previous film, Sharma and DuBowski explore the intersection of religion and homosexuality, but this time Sharma will lead us into the heart of dogmatic and fundamentalist Islam. The trailer alone caught my breath and left me stunned. ([link]) It was obvious, just from this glimpse, that this will be an exceptionally courageous and powerful film.

One line in particular from the trailer frightened me the most. Clad in his white robe, what I assume is a Muslim cleric states: “Homosexuality is a crime in Islam, and is punishable by death…The only difference among the jurists is how the person should be killed. That’s the only difference.” And here we see the ironic bedfellows of fundamentalist christians and fundamentalist muslims. Just as I’ve written before, here again Christianity and Islam share a commonality, but unlike previous posts, here we see that both religions are subject to the same maligned interpretations of their fundamentalist or even orthodox sects.

It proves to be the case in every religion: the fundamentalists - and to a degree, the doctrinally orthodox - are the most violent, angry and hate-filled individuals of their world-encompassing religions. And though the fundamentalists are not majorities within their faiths, they are typically the most vocal and outwardly (in both word and action) violent and abusive. It should bear striking witness to the fact that none of these fundamentalist sects could exist without a scapegoat they can target. Within my own Christian faith, it saddens me that these denominations have chosen to revert back to the ritual of scapegoating, the very practice that Jesus abolished.

And it is no wonder that these fundamentalists are trying so hard to protect their hatred against homosexuals. After all, the LGBTQ community is one of the last scapegoats they have left. In most culturally advanced countries, equalities have been offered (at least on paper) between the races, and between the sexes. If these religions lost the legal ability to persecute, intimidate, harass and kill homosexuals without fear of moral or ethical reprisal, then who would they have left to hate? Who would be left to stand above so that they will be able to feel justified in themselves? Who would be left to target and abuse and thus save them from finally having to look inwards at themselves?

It still remains dangerous within Christianity and Judaism, let alone Islam to stand up against and especially expose the prejudices that remain against homosexuals. But fundamentalists in all faiths have been allowed the shelter of silence and twisted religious tolerance for their violence for too long. The only way to end it is to bring their bloodied hands to the light for all to see. It appears that this film will have the courage to do just that. I applaud Sharma and DuBowski for this effort and pray that it will be a solid step towards protecting those who are so inhumanely being hurt. It is time to shatter the silence that surrounds this violence and finally give speech to those who are being killed without a word. As a Christian, and fundamentally as a contemplative, I believe in a God of Love. And as the title of their film indicates, we will have to fight for that Love. But the weapons we choose to bear will have to be films like this instead of the typical weapons that fundamentalists have chosen to use for so long. I can only pray that it will be enough to make a difference.

Amen.

Christmas gift

Hot damn. I got a Nikon SLR for Chirstmas - D40X model. I've been playing with it all week and experimenting with all that it can do. This Sunday I'll be in Piedmont park see what I can come up with . *giggles like a school boy* This is awesome.

Slowly tipping the copper ibrik so as not to disturb the settled grounds, I poured the dark sweet Turkish coffee into my demitasse. I always enjoy taking my coffee on my back porch. There I can sit and read in the early morning sun, surrounded by my potted plants of grapes, blueberries, and a lone planter of chamomile.

As I sat there this particular morning, I turned to the blueberry bush, my attention caught by the gentle drone of a bumblebee. One flower at a time, this little connoisseur made his way around the small spindly branches, sampling the small stashes of pollen in each delicate white cup. As I watched, movement caught the corner of my eye.

There in the same pot was a small sapling. It was a post oak smaller than my hand with all of seven leaves to make its crown. It was dancing there beneath the blueberry bush as though by magic. It danced of its own accord. There was no wind that would have started it swaying.

The bumblebee continued its course, completely unimpressed by this marvel. The sapling would dance for a while and then grow still, catching its breath before picking up again its excited choreography.

What a wonder that this little sapling could dance all on its own!

While watching this performance, I had grown still in my chair, not wanting to break the spell. As I sat there, I felt the slightest caress of a breeze against my arm. It was cool and so, so gentle. If I had been moving at all, I would not have recognized it.

Ah ha! There was the muse for my little prima dona’s dance. This gentle breeze, so easily missed was what my little sapling was responding to. How strange it was for me to see it swaying and not know why. I imagine the bumblebee ignored it because it didn’t understand.

How many people do we have the chance to meet each day that dance to a gentler breeze and we try not to see them? We try so desperately to ignore then. How many times have we been made uncomfortable by that one lone person who seems perfectly content with exactly where they are? They seem to bask in an unseen light and that light radiates from them.

We don’t know what gentle breeze is making their heart dance, and so we move quickly on. We avert our eyes. We try not to see someone enjoying what we know in our own hearts we are missing. But in that, we are just too busy moving about in our own lives. If we can simply stop for just a moment, become still, then we can feel that gentle breeze that moves them.

We must be still in order to recognize the most subtle breath of Holy Spirit. Others that dance to it when we are too busy to feel it ourselves look so out of place. But it’s there, always, for all of us to feel if we can but take a moment to be still and let that soft cool breath caress us.

And who knows! Maybe when we are finally still, we will not only feel that gentle breeze that causes someone else to dance, but maybe we will begin to dance to it as well.

Amen.