Creation as an Icon

In the article, "Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew: Insights into an Orthodox Christian Worldview," written by John Chryssavgis, the idea of creation as an icon is discussed. I found this article while I was doing research for my final paper and really liked it because it connected to a lot of what we have talked about in class. It talks about how humans are supposed to wonder at creation, but not worship it because if one were to worship nature it would move from being an icon to an idol. God did not intend for creation to be an idol because his intention was for humanity to worship Him, not the things that he created. Taking care of creation is not the same as worshiping it, but there is a distinct line that needs to be drawn so that humans do not start looking to creation instead of to God. In my opinion, creation is not looked at as an idol because humans do not care for it, instead they treat it like it was made for us and nothing else. We treat it like a toy we received on Christmas that we only view as our own, but do not take care of it to make it last longer. We bang it up and throw it around, and finally when the day comes that it falls apart, we cry because we want what we once had to come back. I view humans relationship with nature in the same light as this child with his toy.