Icons are not optional devotional extras, but an integral part of Orthodox faith and devotion. They are held to be a necessary consequence of Christian faith in the incarnation of the Word of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, in Jesus Christ.
You won’t find a more concise and helpful explanation of why Orthodox Christians keep and venerate icons.
Listen here:
[audio:http://audio.ancientfaith.com/hopko/stt009sunoforth_pc.mp3]Podcast courtesy of Ancient Faith Radio.