Do faith images increase faith?

By Msgr J.W. Katende

A pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where religious images feature prominently, calls for a sound appreciation of God’s commandment against the making and worshipping of images (Ex. 20:4–5).

Ironically, the Holy sites are, primarily, images of the presence and marvels of God. Mt. Sinai is the Mountain of God; great prophets like Moses and Elijah encountered him there.

It is the site of the 10 Commandments. 

Jerusalem is the City of God and home to Jews, Christians and Muslims. A prayer in the Tomb of Jesus marks the climax of the pilgrimage.

Houses of worship are abodes of God. Icons of saints are highly venerated because of their closeness to God.

A story is told about the famous French poet, playwright and diplomat Paul Claudel (1868-1955) who, having entered the Basilica of Notre Dame in Paris on Christmas Day in 1886 on research against Christianity, gained faith after listening to the song of Mary, known as the “Magnificat”.

His heart was touched and his soul elevated.

Religious images, thus, help us to approach God’s beauty; stir us into a sense of wonder and deep emotions of holy joy. 

It is through such works of art that finite humans express their thirst and search for the infinite. Holy Scriptures too are images of God’s speech. 

They have inspired humanity to form cultures, religious symbols, signs, poems, songs and icons! They were initially written in ancient languages whose alphabets were iconic; endowed with capacity to communicate the beauty, truth and power of God.

God forbade the worship of images, but he did not forbid venerating them for his greater glory and honour. Instead, he actually commanded their use in religious contexts.

During the plague of serpents sent to punish the Israelites during the Exodus, God told Moses to make a statue of a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole so that whoever was bitten and looked at it with faith would be healed.

Early in its history, Israel was forbidden to make any depictions of God because God had not revealed himself in a visible form. 

Yet, given the pagan culture surrounding them, the Israelites might have been tempted to worship God in form of some natural object. 

But later, God did reveal himself under visible forms. God forbids idolatry because it is a perversion of man’s innate religious sense. 

An idolater transfers his indestructible notion of God to anything other than God. Otherwise, works of art that are born of faith do enhance faith. 

We need them in today’s climate of secularism. 

The writer is the Episcopal Vicar for Kampala in charge of public relations