Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
I’m sure that you are<br />
familiar with seeing cars<br />
with fi sh symbols on<br />
the back – they usually<br />
look like an elongated<br />
‘a’. Sometimes you will see<br />
variations on them like a fi sh<br />
with feet and ‘Darwin’ written<br />
across it.<br />
The fi sh symbol (1) isn’t<br />
a sign that the car driver is<br />
a keen angler but that they<br />
wish to identify themselves<br />
as Christians. The sign itself<br />
is very ancient, dating back<br />
to the very fi rst years of the<br />
Christian church when to be<br />
known as a Christian was to<br />
invite discrimination, persecution<br />
and execution – which is the case<br />
today with Christians throughout<br />
the Middle East and Asia.<br />
In the time of the Roman<br />
persecution Christians needed<br />
to know where was a safe place<br />
to pray, and who might be a safe<br />
person to talk to about their faith.<br />
They developed an elaborate<br />
series of signs that to the Romans<br />
were nothing more than graffi ti,<br />
but to Christians promised safety.<br />
The fi sh was the most famous<br />
of these symbols. A fi sh was<br />
chosen partly because<br />
the fi rst disciples were 4<br />
fi shermen, but mostly<br />
because the letters of<br />
the Greek word for fi sh<br />
(ichthus) were also the<br />
fi rst letters of the word for<br />
Jesus Christ, God, Son,<br />
Saviour.<br />
Other signs also played with the<br />
Greek alphabet. The Alpha and<br />
Omega symbol (2) and the Khi<br />
Rho symbol (3) both took Greek<br />
letters and placed one over the<br />
other. Alpha and Omega are the<br />
fi rst and last letters of the Greek<br />
1<br />
2 3<br />
alphabet and symbolised the<br />
timeless and unending nature of<br />
God. Khi and Rho are the fi rst<br />
two letters of Christ (Christos).<br />
Both these motifs can be seen in<br />
St Chad’s on the newly-restored<br />
wooden reredos above the<br />
Communion Table.<br />
Sadly the persecution of<br />
Christians is as terrible – in fact<br />
probably worse – than at any time<br />
in history and with this new wave<br />
of persecution a new sign has<br />
begun to emerge. Christians in<br />
the West, in solidarity with their<br />
suffering brothers and sisters<br />
in Iraq and Syria have<br />
taken the letter ‘N’ from<br />
the Arabic alphabet and<br />
begun using it across<br />
social media (4). For<br />
Christians evicted from<br />
their homes, a letter ‘N’ is<br />
often scrawled on the wall<br />
by the Islamic State fi ghters. It<br />
stands for ‘Nazarene’ after Jesus<br />
of Nazareth. Perhaps one day<br />
these to will fi nd their way into<br />
churches as a reminder of the<br />
terrible cost born by some who<br />
dare to follow Jesus.<br />
Rev Toby Hole<br />
The Secret Signs of Faith<br />
St Chad’s Church, Linden Avenue, Woodseats<br />
Church Offi ce: Linden Avenue, Sheffi eld S8 0GA<br />
Tel: (0114) 274 5086<br />
Page 17<br />
email: offi ce@stchads.org<br />
website: www.stchads.org