Have you been born again (John ch. 3) by definite specific faith in the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ at the Cross? Can you testify with regard to that regeneration (Titus 3:5)?
Many religious people who love icons and relics have never truly experienced the New Birth. How about you?
My wife and I were born again by God's grace on Dec. 6, 1977. We know Christ. Having His personal presence abiding by the Holy Spirit, we got over and dispensed with religion and a life of "sight" to live by faith.
Experience in four countries as missionaries has illustrated the universal need of religious folks to keep looking for relics and symbols, and icons, and depending upon the dead ("saints and "fathers"), none of which can save, none of which can keep, none of which can sanctify, none of which can purify, none of which can glorify.
So when we see overpaid attention to things that have to be dug up out of the ground, or drug from a mountain side, or hung around the neck, or earthly things that have to be bowed to, we highly suspect a sad lack of the reality of Christ within.
Christ is all-in-all to any true child of God. Things made with hands, even things made with hands in the Old Testament, can not enhance the true believer's faith or standing in Christ. Not having those things can diminish ought from such faith and standing.
Making this known to men is the Love of Christ which constrains us (2 Cor. 5).
One thing I think that many forget is that the Ark is now just a box that may or may not have some stuff inside. The power of God has long been absent from it. (Or as some have interpreted - the actual presence of God is no longer in it.)
And while I don’t idolize this type of stuff (the Shroud of Turin, etc.) - it is pretty cool. Of course I love history and mysteries.
Funny - I was looking at the funky artwork of a wall hanging at church and was thinking about “graven images”, and how some folks consider a painting, etc. of Jesus as a “graven image”. While I’m not sure it is “graven”, an image (or a box) does tend to limit your perception of the true and full God.
And yet, all I have seen come out of you is hatred.