DOES AN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN
HAVE TO CROSS ONESELF
OR KISS THE ICONS?
There has recently come my way a question from a Protestant (who is, I gather, a professor) asking whether one “must” cross oneself, kiss the icons, and make a reverence at certain moments in our temples and homes.
The question clearly presupposes a legalist view of the questioner or of us. While Orthodoxy has its canon law and certain requirements for certain privileges, the Orthodox world view (notably its view of the Fall and of Salvation) is not based on legalisms . . . such as the juridical teaching that the Trinity insisted on satisfying justice before He would deign to forgive our sins–and that Jesus was punished for our sins on the Cross–and much in like vein.
The Orthodox look at the actions mentioned at the beginning of this page as ways of manifesting love in traditionally approved (and evidently satisfying) ways. Since we adore the Cross and love what our Savior did on the Cross, we cross ourselves both out of love and to remind us of what Jesus did. Since we love Jesus, His Mother, and the other Saints and revere the holy miracles or other events portrayed in icons, we show our love and reverence by kissing them.
One could expatiate at length. But these examples show how radically different and how far apart the thought world of the “Western” questioner and the thought world of the Eastern Orthodox are. We kneel or prostrate ourselves on days when this is permitted because someone (or public opinion) forces us to. Indeed, one sees this person making a prostration now, another doing it at some other time, and practically everyone who able to do so doing it togther at a few other few times. Each person does it as one is moved to do it by love and reverence. We don’t think twice when someone does or does not perform this act of humility and adoration. When we beg the forgiveness of others on Forgiveness Lordsday just before the Great Fast begins, we kiss one another and (in some traditions) prostrate ourselves before each of them–not because we have to but, if we are sincere–because we think that the triple kiss and the act of humility respectively express our love for them and express how humiliating we consider our offences to have been. If we do any of this for the mere show of it or out of obedience, the acts have no worth; indeed, kneeling out of routine would hardly have much value, and kneeling just to impress others would be hypocritical.
One can well imagine that a Protestant’s individualism and radicalism would leave one feeling no joy in doing things the way the Orthodox Saints showed their feelings of love or reverence–or indeed of belief (in the Standard of Belief). But the Orthodox find comfort in saying and hearing the same prayer that some notable defender of the Faith or Martyr prayed. Not only is it emotionally comforting to do things in ways that have stood the test of two millenniums; it also gives us a mental assuredness that what we are doing is right. This contrasts with the changes so frequent in the West–among the Latins, additions and then subtractions; among the Protestants changes in every generation (like rejecting crosses in one generation and them erecting them on every church house and printing them in every publication–all during the lifetime of some persons. Where we seen instability, they see freshness.
© 2003 by Orchid Land Publications
Comments (4)
thanks for sharing this viewpoint:) I enjoyed learning your perspective! I think everyone, whether the realize it or not, has certain traditions within their faith. In any close relationship, people have special rituals and customs that are meaningful to them. It helps us to remember why we love that person, what brought us together, and how special the relationship is. Why should our love of God be different? The old and the new expressions of love are equally important, I think.
Excellent! Must charismatics raise their hands and speak in tongues?
“Must charismatics raise their hands and speak in tongues?”
lol, depends on which ones you ask.
Thanks for this! I always learn so much from your blog.