News of the Strange

The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that a protestant group named "Every Home For Christ" (It's a laudable goal but an odd name, don't you think?) is building a replica of the Western Wall so people can simulate visiting the real thing which is in Jerusalem. This reminds me of the Orthodox practice of making Icons of other Icons. For example, the Joy of All Who Sorrow Icon and any number of weeping Icons are reproduced in other Icons to look like the prototypes. Copies of weeping Icons even have painted on tears. So, obviously, I don't think this is the strange thing. Making copies of a holy things and venerating the copies is Orthodox.

The strange thing is that these are evangelical protetants who are doing this. It is almost like they are looking for a way to embrace sacramentalism but are relectant to do it the Christian way (with sacraments), and are instead doing it in a Jewish way that has never been a Christian way. The Temple was destroyed after the Church was established and the western wall (actually a retaining wall, not part of the temple proper)became a Jewish shrine after that destruction.