THEOSISJohn Damascene
God instructed that twelve stones be taken from the Jordan River, providing a purpose for this action. He declared, “When your child inquires, ‘What do these stones signify?’ inform him of how, by divine decree, the waters of the Jordan ceased to flow, allowing the ark of the Lord and all the people to cross over. Hence, how could we not represent in our icons the salvific sufferings and wonders of our Lord Christ? So that when my child poses the question, ‘What does this mean?’ I can explain that the Word of God became flesh, and through Him, not just Israel traversed the Jordan, but all creation returned to its original joy. Through Him, nature ascended from the depths of the earth and took its place at the very throne of the Father.
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Regarding images, they exist in two forms: one is through the written word found in holy texts, reminiscent of how God inscribed the law on tablets and commanded the lives of the righteous to be documented; the other is through visual contemplation, much like His command to gather twelve stones from the Jordan to symbolize the priests, a truly profound mystery for the faithful, who carried the ark of the covenant and the waters that receded. Therefore, we continue to lovingly create images of virtuous individuals for our inspiration, remembrance, and admiration. Thus, one must either reject all images and contravene the command of Him who ordained their existence, or embrace every image in accordance with the intended meaning and nature of each representation.