“The Christ Pantocrator is one of the most recognized depictions of Jesus. The Greek term “Pantocrator,” often translated as “All Powerful,” also means “to hold all things.” Christ’s left hand holds an open book, which traditionally represents the Gospels. The nuance of expression and sensitivity in this depiction of Christ is drawn from the ancient traditions of Christian iconography across both the East and the West. In this painting, Christ is surrounded by symbolic representations of the four evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In Christian iconography, the evangelists are often represented by symbols originating from the four “living creatures” found in the apocalyptic visions of Ezekiel (Ezekiel 1–2) and also in the book of Revelation (4:6–9), though neither passage links the creatures to the evangelists. The four creatures—collectively called the Tetramorph—represent different aspects of Christ’s nature. Matthew is symbolized by a winged man, or angel. Matthew’s gospel starts with Joseph’s genealogy from Abraham, a sign pointing to Jesus’ incarnation, and so to Christ’s human nature. Mark is symbolized by a winged lion—a figure of courage and monarchy that represents Jesus’ resurrection. Luke is symbolized by a winged ox or bull—a figure of sacrifice, service, and strength. John is symbolized by an eagle—a figure of the sky. The gospel of John presents Jesus’s ascension and Christ’s divine nature. The symbolism of representing the four evangelists as the four “living creatures” has developed over time, so that by the high middle ages it was extremely common to find these symbols in Christian art. It would later be more common to see the evangelists depicted as humans flanked by symbolic representation of their “creature.””
Greetings!
The most important thing about me is not first and foremost about me. It’s about the person of Jesus. I receive my identity, my purpose, and my very breath and life from Jesus. Colossians 1:16 says it well. Speaking of Jesus, there the apostle Paul writes, “All things have been made through him and for him.” Who I am, I am because of who he is. And because through him I have been reconciled to God, I now live to orient my life around him. I don’t always do this very well. So I’m grateful for the good news of God’s forgiveness.
Since August 2002 I have been married to a beautiful, wonderful Christian woman. Because of her, my life has been much more of an adventure than it would otherwise have been. She’s loving, smart, funny, determined, and real. Being her husband is a privilege and a joy.
And our joy has multiplied. We have three children. One girl and twin boys. They’re fun, silly, energetic, smart, and exhausting. All unique individuals, they keep us on our toes. Thanks to them, our home is filled with a lot of laughter.
We also have two dogs: a 10-year old mixed poodle-terrier named Sneaker and a 1-year old yorkie named Izzy.
On top of all this, God has also called me to be a pastor. Our church is a small, rural church filled with loving, faithful people. Working with them to live out the good news of God is a great gift.
What else? Well, I happen to like the following things (in no particular order of favourites): playing guitar, writing (obviously!), reading (theology, classic fiction), a variety of movies and TV shows but especially those in the sci-fi/adventure/fantasy/super-hero genres, Dairy Queen Chocolate Extreme Blizzards, buffalo wings, salsa, Doc Martens, Grip6 belts, and Birkenstock sandals. I love my children’s laughter and my wife’s smile. And I love that God — in his abundant grace — allows me to enjoy any of these things.
There. Now you really know me.
I hope you enjoy and get something out of reading my blog. I’d love it if you made some comments on a post or two. Normally, I usually post several times a week. Though occasionally I can go as long as a week or more without doing so. Fear not! I will post again!
Peace,
Pastor Derek
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