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Caravaggio’s The Calling of Saint Matthew (c. 1600) depicts the moment at which Christ calls upon Levi to follow him and become the apostle Matthew. In the painting Christ points to Levi the tax-collector, who is seated at a table with four other people. Sur- prised by the intrusion, Levi draws back with an ex- pression of astonishment on his face. In His unpar- alleled, divine way, Christ summons Matthew and this moment inspires a man to follow Him (cf. Mat- thew 9:9). That summoning of the Apostle and Levi’s gaze excite awe. Undoubtedly, all four Gospels show that from the moment of Christ’s calling and one’s conversion life assumes a new dimension for His fol-
lowers.
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If I want to get to know a person—that is, a person as other identity—then I should not limit my judgment to what is visible, but ought to try to somehow “see” what cannot be seen with a naked eye. Admittedly, we cannot know the essence of anything (cf. 1 Cor. 2:11). Thus, St. Gregory the Theologian points out that not only God, but even the nature of creation, is far beyond the grasp of reason. Nevertheless, while we cannot know the essence of anything, we are still able to see how something exists. This means that various aspects of the Other (and other), that are not being revealed to us, have yet to be learned. In that sense, whenever I look at my neighbor I also take into consideration what is not visible to eye. In a personal encounter, one is always revealed more than our vi- sion can discern because the truth about the en- counter is above nature. Reality is not always a reli- able base for knowledge—the sceptics were right
about that.
In our era of transhuman technology, character- ized by a considerable lack of judgement, coupled with apparent inattentiveness, ascetical wisdom (e.g. the Patericon, the Ladder of Divine Ascent, etc.) is the best source of insightful advice for the modern man. Apart from being inattentive and unfocused (which is nothing to pride ourselves on), we humans are also disposed to often lose the horizon of expectation be- cause our goals lack clarity.
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The essence of a good iconographer lies not in their ability to create realistic images but in the profound resonance they feel with the miracle of the Resur- rection. Their work is imbued with a deep spiritual connection, where theology becomes a quest for the divine wherever it may manifest. In this pursuit, these gifted iconographers emerge as some of the greatest theologians, teaching us through their brushstrokes that mortal beings partake in the di- vine nature. Their art becomes a conduit to the force of an earthquake, stirring within us a profound un-
derstanding of our participation in the divine.
In the words of Yiannis Tsarouhis who comment- ed on two icons of the Resurrection, on in Daphni, 11th century, and another in Nea Moni of Chios, 11th
century):
“These two icons are theology in the best sense,
teaching us facts about Christology in a manner far more precise and dear than the words of contempo- rary christologists. We would have advanced much further in Theology if we had learned to read Byzan- tine Iconography correctly”.
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