Family Photograph
I expect that many of us have in our rooms a photograph of our family or friends. I myself have a particular favourite — it’s one of my parents and sister on holiday somewhere in the North York Moors. When I feel a little homesick or alone, I look at their smiling faces and remember that holiday. Sometimes, I’ll look through my photo album, and see a picture of one of my old friends from school. Often, I won’t have thought of them for ages, and seeing a picture of them reminds me to phone them up and have a chat.
Many people who have lost loved-ones keep a picture of them in a special, private place. In the absence of being able to see them physically, they might commemorate a birthday or anniversary by places some flowers by the photo.
One of the best ways to remember an event or person is to have a photo taken, or a picture made. They can capture the joy of class-mates’ parties, marriages, graduation days or holidays.
Why should Christians be any different? As a Catholic, one of the criticisms that is most often made against me (by other Christians) is that I have a crucifix on my wall, and a picture of the Virgin Mary above my desk, next to the photo of my family on holiday in Yorkshire. I am accused of idolatry, and worshipping graven images. I cannot see the logic in this.
To me, a picture, statue or painting of Jesus is like a photograph. It reminds me of the most important person in my life. It inspires me to get in touch with him through prayer. I don’t pray to the picture. That would be idolatry. But the picture symbolises the person it depicts. When I look at the photos of my friends, it isn’t idolatrous to think of them, and I don’t believe the photograph is really them in the flesh. But for me, pictures of Jesus and the saints — who are, after all, even more closely our family than our physical relations — can be helpful in meditating on my faith.
To me, a crucifix is far from a gory or unpleasant image. The figure of that man, in itself so seemingly insignificant, is for me a powerful symbol of the love God has for me. His arms are outstretched in the greatest act of love of all time. It is a symbol, not an object to be worshipped. To light a candle before a cross is no more idolatrous than placing flowers on before the photo of a friend, or tending the grave of a loved-one. The church has always been full of symbolism and ritual, since the earliest drawing of a fish on the ground. So long as symbols don’t become important in themselves, they can be very helpful in focussing our hearts and minds on God.
I’m fully aware that it’s easy to fall into the trap of idolatry. There are some who revere images or statues without realising who or what it is they are praying to. Personally, I try not to look at statues during prayer, because of the danger of confusing them with the real focus of my devotion. Instead I allow them to evoke within me a feeling of love for what they are trying to depict. They help me to visualise what is contained in the words of scripture. To stare into the eyes of an icon allows me to stare into my own soul.
It’s easier to make idols of other things in our lives — material possessions, academic achievement, the admiration of others, television, our appearance. It can be more difficult to turn away from these.
Of course, pictures and images are not the only place I can see God. I can see him in those around me, I get some glimpses of him in prayer, I see him in creation. But I also see him in the creativity of artists, architects, musicians and poets, who use the gifts he has given them to try and reflect something of his beauty in their art.