| This movie touches on the real and pervasive problem of individualism. In this article I would like to briefly discuss that problem, as well as offer the Orthodox Christian solution. Very simply, that solution is to be found in “communion.” Like Bruce, who has also not asked, perhaps in a reflective moment by a mountain stream or after a really bad day at work in the city: “Why am I here?” “What is the meaning, purpose and calling of my life?” David, the Psalmist, and future King considering his own existence, asks the Lord in a similar way in the eighth Psalm: “what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” In other words, “God, why do you care about me anyway?” There is another line in the “Bruce Almighty” when Bruce realizes he is really bad at granting prayers and defends himself to God: “I just gave everyone what they wanted.” The God character replies: “Since when does anyone have a clue about what they want?” In truth, only God knows who we are and what we need, because He created us. So although all of Holy Scripture is to help us understand our place in the grand scheme of things and learn how to live and act, we will find important answers in our creation. Creation in the Image of God In the creation account at the beginning of Genesis, God said: “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness.” What is this image – this “inner life” of the Trinity – in which we are created? You may be familiar with the beautiful icon (pictured here) entitled “The Hospitality of Abraham and Sarah” written by St. Andrei Rublev in the fifteenth century. Recall that in Genesis 18, the Lord visited the Righteous Abraham and Sarah by the Terebinth Tree at Mamre. Abraham sees immediately that there are three men there, and the dialogue makes it clear that the Lord God was a “they.” Sarah prepares the finest she had to offer, three fine cakes, butter, milk and a calf. So this icon is called the Hospitality of Abraham and Sarah, because there was that actual historical event, where they gave their best to the strangers, and where they were there promised a son. But at another level, this is considered to be a true image or icon (eikon) of the Holy Trinity. The three angels are portrayed as sharing together at table, something we humans understand to represent openness and hospitality. We not only notice the circular feel, with its fluid movement – but by superimposing a circle over the icon, we can see in fact, that St. Andrei explicitly intended the circle. The shape of the circle means that no one is more important than the other. There is a sharing – a unity – in the relationship, as in the composition of the icon. |
| Примечания 1. См. Willms H. " Eikon " ; Kittel G. 386-7; Aubin P. (L " image dans I " oueuvre de Plotin; Merki H. Ebenbildlichkeit. 2. Быт. 1, 26-27; Прем. 7, 24-28. 3. См.: Giblet J. L " homme image de Dieu dans Philon d " Alexandria. 4. См. св. Иоанн Златоуст. Беседы на Послание к Евреям, 2, 2-3. PG 63,22-3. 5. См. Лосский Вл. Очерк мистического богословия Восточной церкви//Богословские труды. 1972. 6. Понятно, что при всей своей значимости, тема " образа " не исчерпывает полноты Православной антропологии. Для всестороннего понимания церковного учения о человеке необходимо учитывать и такие понятия, как " подобие " , " уподобление " , " благодать " , " усыновление " , " обожение " и другие - каждое из которых вносит в него свой оттенок. 7. Св. Григорий Нисский. Об устроении человека. 11, PG 44, 153D-156B, особ. 156АВ. 8. Св. Иоанн Дамаскин. О двух волях во Христе. 30, PG 95. 168В. У некоторых отцов Церкви мы находим это понятие в значениях, по-видимому исключающих друг друга. Это объясняется их противостоянием какой-либо конкретной ереси. Например, Ориген в " На Бытие " (PG 12, 96) опровергает тех, кто сводил понятие " по образу " к телу, в числе которых был некто Мелит, своими писаниями утверждавший телесность божества. 9. Епифаний Саламийский. Панарион. 70, PG 42, 344В. 10. Cullman О. Die Christologie des Neuen Testament. Tubingen, 1958. P. 152. 11. См. в Karavidoupoulos I.D. " Ermineftikon ipomnima eis tin pros Kolossaeis epistolin " , обширную современную библиографию на этот текст и на другие тексты, важные для данной темы, напр.: Рим. 8,29; 2 Кор. 4,4; Евр. 1,3 и 1 Ин. 3,2. 12. Напр., Orbe A. Antropologia de San Ireneo; Maver A. Das Bild Gottes im Menschen nach Clemens von Alexandrien; Crouzel H. Theologie de I " image de Dieu chez Origene; Dimitropoulos P.Ch. I anthropologia tou M. Athanasiou; Bernard R. L " image de Dieu d " apres saint Athanase; Roldanus J. Le Christ et I " homee dans la theologie d " Athanase d " Alexandrie. 13. Ориген. Против Цельсия. 6, 63, PG 11, 1393. |
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