The featured image is a carving of Jesus Christ named Pantocrator. The word Pantocrator is of Greek origin meaning “ruler of all.” He holds the book of the Gospels in his left hand and blesses with his right hand.
The icon portrays Christ as the Righteous Judge and Lover of Mankind, both at the same time. The Gospel is the book by which we are judged and the blessing proclaims God’s loving kindness toward us, showing us that he is giving us his forgiveness. The oldest known Pantocrator icon was written in the sixth century. It was preserved in the monastery of St. Catherine in the Sinai desert.
Years ago, my employer was striving to change its management culture to a more inclusive and collaborative style. One of the leadership workshops focused on better respecting the ideas and voices of everyone. In their best of intentions they crafted the over-arching theme to be “Everyone speaks their own truth.” I knew the workshop leaders well so after the workshop we talked. I said that when you say everyone speaks their own truth – you are saying that truth is relative meaning that there is no “absolute” truth. This is called “relativism” – where people live by the motto, “Well that’s your truth and I have my truth.”
To say there is no absolute truth is to say there is no God. We become our own god which is what the Genesis account of humanity’s Fall is all about. Eat the fruit and be “like gods” (Gn 3:5). Rather, it would be accurate to say that everyone speaks their own “bias.” This we cannot escape.
Our world, the world we see, is a reflection of our self-image. In a symbolic way Christ told us that we behold ourselves in what we see: the lamp of the body is the eye” (Mt 6:22); “take care then that the light in you not become darkness” (Lk 11:35); “for if the light in you is darkness, how great will be the darkness [everywhere]” (Mt 6:23).
We are tied to our judgmental world with its guilt and punishment because we are tied to the people (and system) which formed us. The basis for our judgments is often founded on what we’ve learned from key people in our lives. These people make up “our gods.” Parental gods, church gods, state gods, corporate gods, teacher gods, peer gods, friend gods. These gods are now internalized; we carry them around in our head and look to them for support. (see ref: Who told you that you were naked? by John Jacob Raub, Crossroad Pub)
If I resort to no one but myself, with my own thoughts and feelings, as a guide towards truth and morality – I am in deep trouble, …and have often been.
There is a reference in John’s gospel if Jesus teaching his followers about his Most Holy Body and Blood (Jn 6:51-58). Because of this hard saying, many of his followers departed him but those who stayed replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”
I find myself asking this same question, “Lord, to whom shall I go?” In response, I admit that I do not have a better answer by which to guide my life but Jesus Christ and his good news.
Understanding one’s life in the context of Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection is not some romantic “goodwill” gesture. It does come with an experience and understanding of suffering and death but equally on its other side comes “new” life.
If there is something better out there, I have not found it. Now, to whom shall you go?
