20 July is the feast day of the prophet Elijah. It is therefore a fitting moment to write something about this icon of Elijah in the desert, sitting in the shade of a rock, fed by a raven. Elijah and the power of the elements The prophets, too, find their way into Eastern icons and – as in Gregory of Nyssa’s *The Life of Moses* – into the thoughts and reflections of the Church Fathers. Within the Eastern Orthodox tradition, Elijah – the Old Testament prophet who ultimately ascended to heaven in a fiery chariot – What does an icon of Elijah in the desert tell us about waiting, doubt and human vulnerability? Heleen Murre-van den Berg reveals another side to this powerful prophet: Elijah as a human being, who becomes exhausted, waits and finds new strength. Platform Oosters Christendom.
