The Synaxis of the Huts

With apologies to James Powell. “The Synaxis of the Huts!” St John the Hut Dweller, St. Maximus the Hut Burner, Jabba the Hut, and Pizza the Hut. It took me about 7 years to get up the nerves to draw the cartoon of what started as a joke during coffee hour after Church one Sunday morning.

One morning during coffee hour after Divine Liturgy (Church) in about 2010 or 2011, James Powell and I were discussing St. Maximus the Hut Burner, a Greek Saint who was famous for setting his dwelling on fire every time he grew too attached to it. I then mentioned St. John the Hut Dweller, a saint who lived in a small hut on his parents property unknown to them. His parents were wealthy and he wished to live a simple life, so he lived his chosen life. James in the middle of the conversation said to me that there should be an icon of the “Synaxis of the Huts”. Synaxis is a Greek word which means “gathering.” There are many synaxis icons, such as the Synaxis of the Bodiless Powers, the Synaxis of the Saints of North America, etc. Under my breath I said “yeah, it is too bad that I can’t get Jabba into the painting.” Upon hearing this James lost all composure and began to laugh hysterically and nearly out of control. This was a personal victory for me because James is usually very straight faced and stoic and I had never seen him laugh before this moment.