Early Christians used a wide variety of symbols to express their faith. At times, these symbols provided a sort of secret language among believers. When a Christian met a stranger, he could draw one-half of the ichthys or “Jesus fish” and wait to see if the stranger would complete the drawing. Christian symbols include the Chi-Rho, Alpha and Omega, anchor, fish, cross, dove, six-point star, pelican and others.
The Holy Trinity
There are many symbols that represent the Holy Trinity. These include the triquetra knot, trefoil, and the three-leaf clover. The Trinity is a doctrine of the church used to illustrate the three equal persons of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is mentioned more than once in the Bible, including in the great commission at the end of the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus, before his ascension, tells his disciples, “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” This video features four examples of Trinity symbols.
*Mary Helen Marigza is a lifelong United Methodist, a past missionary with the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society, and a current member of Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Marigza created a set of Christian Symbols out of recycled church window glass to tell people about the meaning behind common religious symbols.
Learn more at UMC.org/ChristianSymbols.
This video was produced by United Methodist Communications in Nashville, TN.
Contact is Joe Iovino.
This video was first posted on March 8, 2020.
