Sort of Restored

Back in January I reported on perhaps the saddest event of my nine years at Swanvale Halt, though less dramatic than the death during a funeral service - the attack on the icon of St John which took place when some thoughtless youngster held a candle to it and scorched the image. I took it away and put a printed photo in its place, and left the poor icon with the lady who's painting a pair of icons for the church on behalf of a member of the congregation. She examined it, gave it to a variety of other painters who also examined it, and came to the conclusion that nothing much could be done short of sanding the damaged portion down and starting again. How easy would it be to match the paint, I wondered. She didn't think she would feel confident in tackling it, at least.

I brought the icon back a little while ago, and after procrastinating for a while I used the photo I had of it to print and paste on another image of the face, as it was. It's now back in place in the church: I spent a little while praying in front of it, marked it with chrism, and left it. The damage is very visible and has become part of its story. I will see what happens to it, and how I feel about it now, watching from its scarred face in the corner of the church.