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The
Fish
The fish is perhaps one of the oldest
symbols of Christianity. Several different causes brought the fish
to be one of the major symbols. One of those reasons is that there
was an old Greek saying that made an acrostic for Jesus Christ.
Another cause is that many of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen
and Jesus made them into “Fishers of Men.” During the
time when Christians were highly prosecuted, people would draw an
arch in the sand when they met someone to secretly ask if they were
a Christian. If the person was a Christian, they would draw another
arch in the sand, completing the image of a fish. If the person was
not a Christian, they would not draw anything in the sand, and they
would not know that the first arch was part of a symbol of
Christianity.
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The Dove
To Christians, the dove can be either a
symbol of the Holy Spirit or it can be a symbol of peace. The dove,
according to the Holy Bible, brought back an olive branch to Noah
following the Great Flood as told in the book of Genesis. The dove,
in this case represents God’s peace toward Noah, and the
generations to come. For more information on Noah and the Arch
during the Great Flood, visit Christianity Workshop 6C: Christian
People. When the dove is pictured with three rings around its head,
it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Another common symbol of
Christianity that includes the dove is known as the Spiriti Sancti
in Latin, or the Holy Spirit. This image has seven doves that are
places around the two letters “SS.” These seven doves
represent the seven gifts from the Holy Spirit: power, wealth,
wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise.
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