Come and See

A story told to me by Kh. Susan about the the conversion of Russia on our first visit to St. John which has a beautiful nave covered in icons:

According to the legendary story of “the choice of the faith,” Prince Vladimir of Kiev is said to have sent ambassadors to the Moslems, the Jews, the Latins, and the Greeks in order to choose the best religion. The report that the envoys brought back about their experience in Constantinople made the prince decide without any hesitation for Byzantine Christianity. The ambassadors said, “We did not know if we were in heaven or on earth for on earth such beauty is not to be found.” We are not dealing here with just an aesthetic experience; the report goes much beyond that: “We thus do not know what to say, but we know one thing for sure. God dwells there among men.…”  Evdokimov, Paul (2011). Art of the Icon, The: A Theology of Beauty (Kindle Locations 235-241). Oakwood Publications. Kindle Edition.