In studying the existing icons of St. Clement, I was struck by the differences between them. In some, he appears angry; others, kind. In some, his hair and beard are long, and in others cropped very short. At least one shows his personality largely obscured, being tossed out of a boat at his martyrdom.
It has been important to me to gain insight into the man, his perspective, and his personality, and to try and reflect these attributes in the Icon. And nowhere is there a greater degree of 'source material' than in the Letter Clement wrote to the Corinthian Church.
Even though his Letter was widely read in antiquity and considered part of the New Testament by churches in Alexandria and Antioch, it was actually unknown in the western churches for most of the last two millenia. Then, in 1628, a 5th Century manuscript (the Codex Alexandrinus) was presented to English King Charles I by the Patriarch of Constantinople. Appended to the end of this Biblical manuscript was a copy of the Letter we have come to know as "1st Clement."
In preparation for the Icon, I read through 1st Clement. And then I read it again. And then I read it a third time, underlining phrases that seemed to sum up his intent and character. A few personal opinions formed from these readings:
1) The purpose of the Letter is to convince the Church in Corinth to restore order, as some younger members of the church had ousted long-serving church elders, with the resultant controversy and enmity. Throughout the letter, Clement calls the church to a semblance of order. He borrows on the orderliness of nature, the flow of one season to another, of the orderly appointment of apostles and bishops, and of Moses creating administrative units in the Old Testament. He implores the members at Corinth to humility and stability and peace. All in all, it is impossible to read 1st Clement without being impressed with his concern for order and peace within the Church.
2) The sense I got was that of a kindly grandfather, speaking gently, yet with authority, to the younger ones. Clement generally did not 'order' the Church to do anything, but instead constantly calls them to join him in appropriate behavior. Throughout the Letter, he begins his sentences with the phrase, "Let us...," such as "Let us give up strife...Let us be kind to one another...Let us cling to His blessing...Let us honor our elders..." Not a harsh master, but a loving elder imploring warring children to put aside their egos and swords.
I am even more convinced that a frame consisting of a predictable, orderly mosaic pattern would best represent Clement's message. I also lean towards a figure with a lengthy beard (a symbol of the wisdom of age), a prominent forehead (symbolic of knowledge - the man endlessly quotes Scripture and other contemporary writings), and an inviting (rather than a condemning) visage.
I can not escape the fact that one of Clements' most important contributions to the early Church was the authorship of this Letter. Hence, I will paint him holding an open scroll, with his own words inscribed on it.
But which words?
These are the candidates I underlined during the 3rd reading. The bold-faced phrases are the ones I am currently leaning towards putting on the scroll:
"...devote yourselves to justice..." (8:4)
"...Let us...give up...strife, and rivalry..." (9:1)
"...Let us be kind to one another..." (14:3)
"...It is to the humble that Christ belongs..." (16:1)
"...The seasons...peacefully give way to each other..." (20:9)
"...Let us honor our elders..." (21:6)
"...keep your tongue from evil..." (22:36)
"...Seek peace and follow after it..." (22:5)
"...Day and Night demonstrate Resurrection..." (24:3)
"...night passes and day comes..." (24:36)
"...We are a holy portion..." (30:1)
"...Let us cling to His blessing..." (31:1)
"...Be eager to do good..." (34:2)
"...All are linked together..." (37:4)
"...do [all] in an orderly fashion..." (40:1)
"...Follow the Innocent..." (46:4)
"...Be pure in conduct..." (48:5)
"...Let Christs' flock live in peace..." (54:2)
"...You must humble your hearts..." (57:1)
"...Live in harmony, bearing no grudges..." (62:2)
"...Rid yourselves of ...rivalry..." (63:2)
Precisely which phrase I use will be a matter of great prayer...and, perhaps, be the last element I add to the Icon. For now, I can pray and ask for guidance, and little more.
Order. Pattern. Roman mosaic. Pallium. Anchors. An elder's wisdom. Perhaps, water from a rock ...an orderly flow of water, of course :-) .
These are the Icon elements rattling around my brain today.
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