A Curtain of Theophanies

"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made"

Romans 1:20

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The world is a curtain. It is intricately woven and extensively vast, filled with images both glorious and tragic, and laid out before us like a tapestry. No one can deny that the world is full of images. The basis for any creative action is that every existing object has potential to point beyond itself. When an artist can bring together different objects as symbols to communicate an idea, it seems as though the he is discovering something coincidental, especially when it manifests in nature. In a godless world, creative actions can then be reduced to man's attempt to find meaning in coincidentally similar objects. But if God, out of His endless creative energies, created a universe containing a mosaic of symbols from which we can draw out truths about Him, any contemplation of the universe is the true fulfillment of the creation, for it means searching the world for God's intended meaning. It is the holy act of foraging the cosmos for God's thoughts. It is striving to see through the curtain of matter with which we interact to perceive and know the invisible God.

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The word theophany comes from the Greek words 'Theo' which translates 'God' and 'phainein' which translates ‘reveal'. The Orthodox Mystic tradition views the cosmos as a robust and expansive series of revelations from God to His creatures. The tangible world does not exist solely for its own sake, nor for our enjoyment of it (though the goodness of God for allows these), but to guide us toward a Creator whose image we bear.

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In the last few posts, I have outlined what could be considered the left and right hands of Mystical Theology. The mystical revelation is this: God transcends His creation infinitely, but moves towards us in love, showing Himself through refractions of the cosmos to the extent we can bear the radiance of His glory. 

Glory to Thee, our God, Glory to Thee.