A contemporary Egyptian, Coptic Christian icon of the Resurrection by Adel Nassief:
“1994 – The Resurrection –
Holy Family Church – Bahir, Egypt”
courtesy Adelnassief.net, /frescos
For Coptic Christian paintings and icons, see Jimmy Dunn and the Coptic Network Picture Archive
For the distinctive Coptic Egyptian ways of commemorating Easter, see “Celebrate Easter the Egyptian Way”
See also The Christian Coptic Orthodox Church Of Egypt
For a contemporary Coptic bishop’s devotional on the meaning of Easter, see See Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the United Kingdom.
There are about 8 million Coptic Christians in Egypt, some 10% of the population. That is, if they were a country on their own, they’d be the size of Austria or Switzerland. If they were a US state they’d be Virginia or New Jersey. The current political upheavals in Egypt, and the rise of the Salafi Muslim hardliners in politics have created many anxieties in the community, but many Egyptian Copts also did celebrate the end of the Mubarak dictatorship, which often attempted to exploit them.
What a fabulous painting!
In the Bishop’s message, he said we can rejoice in suffering, knowing that by sharing Christ’s suferring, we share his joy. If we believe this, we accept the suffering. This acceptance, or surrender lessens the pain. By total acceptance and reframing, we turn the suferring into happiness.
Islam also recommends accepting suffering , and seeing it as a good thing. In Buddhism , the idea is to be open and accepting of everything, including suffering. So the idea that suffering is just a way that we respond to things that we need to get over, is a key point in the major religions.
Dear J C, I read your blog with regularity. After reading William Dalrymple’s ” From the holy mountain” it is must read for you and all western Christains, it is not a western creed, it is Eastern. Jesus is not exclusively for you Christians, Isa, Jesus, is our Prophet too. The mud bricked St Anthony Monastery in Egypt is the real realm of Copts, a word itself a copy of Hellenic word ” Ayguptis”. Islam and Isa, are Synonymous. We are one. J C spread this one simple truth, rest all will fall in place. P.S. Yes there will be a Mahdi too, see Haadith to the effect. Warm Regards to a self same seeker of Truth. V
Keep up the great work. Interestingly, the Coptic Easter is still one week away!
From a long-time (Coptic) follower of your blog