The Miracle of the Church
of the Birth of Christ
In the
Eastern Orthodox calender, Easter is one of the largest celebration of the
Christian faith, and at this time many of the faithful make their way to this
church, as legend has it that on Easter Saturday water appears on the scared
throne (the altar), which the faithful believe has miraculous powers of
healing. They take a few drops of this to relieve illness and pain, and it is
said if the water remains until the suns rise the following day, it is a sign
of Gods blessing and a prosperous year for all ahead.
The Circle of Life
In the same
Church, on the East wall of the loft is placed a most unusual mural depicting
“The Circle of Life” with all signs of the zodiac making up a circle
around a face which is a depiction of Christ. Around that are four naked
figures representing the four seasons, and yet gain around that is the
representation of twelve human figures lying in a clockwise direction. On a
wider circumference are nine figures holding staffs of equal length encircling
the entire mural? In the first half the figures represent the growth cycle of
life, the second half showing the decline and final end of this mortal life,
with an interesting inscription.
This
complicated composition would seem to owe much too Far Eastern philosophy, but
with a focus on the life of Christ, and is a most unusual find in a Christian
church. It has a particular mystery that enchants the viewer for many a time
after.
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