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Immediately
he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had
dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time
the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking
toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And
they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter answered
him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started
walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink,
he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith,
why did you doubt?" When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly
you are the Son of God." Matthew 14:21-32
My favorite icons
are the ones that tell stories. This story is beloved by fisherman and non-fishermen alike who relate to Peter's
impulse to step out of his comfort zone only to panic a moment later and sink like a stone. I adapted this
icon from the Blessed Photios Kontoglou, maybe the most important iconographer of the last century. Ok, the fish in Kontoglou’s
icon are not striped bass, and I doubt there were stripers in the Sea of Galilee, but I think we need to hope with familiar
images and for me hope is often about bass. It is 4 x 7 inches.
For a very interesting article by Kontoglou, go to:
Yes, it gets to be a bit of a rant against Western art, etc... but he helps me understand
why iconography is different, and that it's intention us to be unsettling, unfamiliar, even weird (not naturalistic).
As he says, icons should not please the eye but transform us spiritually.
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