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View from the Pew  Mary Adamski |
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Donna Curtis, left, and husband Sam hold a few items that the Showers of Blessing Christian Bookstore sells that are symbols of Christianity.
Symbolism abounds in Christianity, from
the flame of the Holy Spirit to the crossMy all-time, absolutely favorite Christian church decoration was not any Christmas manger scene, be it elegant, avant-garde or cute, nor the massed white lilies symbolizing resurrection and new life at Easter.
It was a shimmering shower of red flames -- fabric on net descending from the three-story ceiling, the creation of an inspired pastor who is long gone.
Tomorrow is the day of the red flames again. It is Pentecost, the day 50 days after Easter celebrated by traditional churches as the "birthday of Christianity." The flame imagery, more than just birthday candles, reflects the story at the beginning of the New Testament book known as Acts of the Apostles or the Book of Acts:
"They were all gathered together when suddenly there came from heaven a sound of a violent wind that filled the entire house ... and there appeared to them tongues as of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power."
The flame has been used throughout Christian history as a sign for the Holy Spirit. It has emerged as a symbol favored by Christian churches whose evangelical emphasis is on the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" through which human lives are personally touched by God.
"Pentecostal" is a categorization of churches that arose in America in the mid-1800s, turning away from liturgy and ritual of established denominations in favor of more personal, emotional expression of spiritual enthusiasm.
Many of the popular "new" Christian churches of today evolved from that movement. And, while the cross may be viewed historically as THE symbol of Christianity, the imagery more predominant in these evangelical churches is of the Holy Spirit, depicted as a dove as well as a flame.
"The flame represents empowerment," said Pastor Art Sepulveda, of Word of Life Christian Center, who used the red flame in the Word of Life logo. "It's symbolic of God's power burning out the dross, God giving you a passion and a quest."
A red flame is part of the official insignia of the United Methodist Church, side by side with a cross. It adorns its churches around the globe, and probably only members know that it has symbolism besides Pentecost. The emblem was designed with a dual flame to represent the 1968 merger of two denominations, the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church.
Catholic and Protestant churches will use the color red designating the Holy Spirit, third person of the Trinity, in decorations and clerical garb tomorrow. In two churches visited last weekend, congregations were reminded that it has become a custom in recent years for members of congregations to wear red, too.
"We are forever celebrating the dynamic behind the Pentecost," said Max Wilkins, teaching pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship, which uses a dove in its logo. "Always throughout our year, there is an emphasis on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us live our lives as Christians."
The origin of the dove symbol is found in all four Gospels. In Matthew: "When Jesus had been baptized, he at once came up from the water and suddenly, the heavens opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him."
Wilkins said: "Obviously we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit, which comes from Jesus Christ. He promised he would send a comforter to be with us when he went to be with the Father."
Wilkins said the New Hope logo is deliberately ambiguous. Beneath the dove are open hands. "It's not clear whether the hands are receiving or releasing the dove or both. We understand the gift comes to empower us to serve Jesus and church and to release the power of the spirit into the world."
University of Hawaii professor David Panisnick, who teaches courses on Christianity at the Manoa campus and Honolulu Community College, said the use of these symbols goes with the modern marketing of the Christian message.
"The mega-churches are appealing to a portion of the population who are not comfortable in a church. They meet in theaters and cafeterias; there's no cross, nothing hanging on the walls.
"I am left with the impression that it is all upbeat, all positive. There's no emphasis on sin or guilt, no references to hell or Satan," said Panisnick. The cross reminds that Christ died for the sins of humanity, to redeem it.
"Those older forms of religiosity really appeal to the emotions, negative as well as positive," said the professor.
Wilkins, the New Hope minister, said: "If you are asking, Is the cross an important symbol? the answer is absolutely yes. It is the central part of our Christian faith." The cross and dove are two of four symbols used by the Foursquare Gospel denomination with which New Hope is affiliated.
The cross was not seen at the Word of Life services last week, but Sepulveda said it will be this week. "The theme of my talk will be the power of the cross. In terms of the first Christians, the cross was not a popular symbol," Sepulveda said.
"It was gruesome, an image of execution. Christians identified themselves by the sign of the fish."
It reflects Jesus' call to his first followers, fishermen, whom he told, "I will make you fishers of men."
Modern brand-name believers flaunt the fish on their vehicles. A few legislators tacked the symbol to their office doors, arousing a brief discussion about separation of church and state.
But, said Christian bookstore owner Sam Curtis, for the earliest Christians the simple two-stroke fish sign was a secret password of sorts. It was found in the catacombs where second-century Christians were driven to hide from Roman persecution.
Curtis said the fish symbol -- on plaques, jewelry and car ornaments -- is a big seller at his Showers of Blessing store in Mililani. He explained it comes from an ancient acrostic, a composition in which the first letter of each line forms a word or pattern. The first letters of the Greek word for fish lined up as initials for "Jesus Christ, son of God, savior." So when you seen the fish displayed with foreign innards, it's likely the Greek letters IXOTE.
There's a password going on with modern use of the fish symbol, too. It is used by fundamentalist Christians as an affirmation that God created the world in six days just as it's told in Genesis. "Nowadays, if you see it on a car, it's a safe assumption that they are taking a position on Creationism," Panisnick said.
There's a sly rebuttal version out there, with "Darwin" as the fish innards, taking a stand for the theory of evolution. A quick survey this week revealed that version is not on sale in local Christian shops.
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
Religion Calendar
Mary Adamski covers religion for the Star-Bulletin.
Email her at madamski@starbulletin.com.
