On the Sunday of Orthodoxy, we celebrate victory in the very first week of Lent. That may seem strange in a season of repentance. But this feast reminds us why we are fasting and struggling in the first place. Our true identity is not found in politics, culture, sports, or personal branding. Our true identity is in Christ.

The Church defended icons because the incarnation is real. God truly became man. We are truly made in His image and likeness. When we were baptized, we put on Christ. That is who we are before anything else. Christian first. Everything else second.

As we continue through Great Lent, let us remember that everything we do, every prayer, every act of repentance, every sacrifice, is meant to draw us deeper into communion with Him. Our identity is not something we create. It is something we receive in Christ.