Veneration

My word of the day was venerate:To treat someone or something with deep respect, reverence or deference; to revere.

I use this word in my studio art class to describe icons...as they were objects of veneration. Though we used it in reference to Byzantine art, we discussed objects/people of veneration in pop culture. The kids came up with Rolex watches, certain cars, movie stars, and singers. Interesting how 600 years later we have moved from the spiritual to the material world.

One of my issues about the big hubbub of the movie/book "The Secret", was the focus on the material, rather than the gifts of the spiritual world. The concept is fascinating, and I believe in it, but I think that it is a shame that we think of our self worth in necklaces, or millions, and that is how our happiness and success is measured.

I revere the beauty of the earth, of God/Allah/Buddha, whatever you want to call the "entity" that is greater than us. I revere love, peace, fortitude, empathy, and faith. I revere all of the arts. Such things bring me closer to to a place of pure joy, love, and spirituality. I like all the finer things in life, but without such spiritual things, the material means nothing to me.

The images for tonight...photographs of Thomas Cole's outhouse...you've heard of praying to the porcelain God...well here is an object that must have been venerated many times. It almost looks like a little church!

Always with a touch of humor, patti