Throughout this series we have looked at symbols in their most complex forms and gradually introduced simpler and simpler forms. We started with lived-out moments that reenact something bigger, then moved on to carefully constructed parables, and most recently we looked at brief dream sequences which stripped away context and story to provide concentrated symbolic scenes.

There is, of course, an even simpler form of symbols and it is probably the first form that comes to mind when we heard the word. It is symbols as single, static images. These are things like the Christian Cross, the Star of David, or the Scales of Justice.

An argument could certainly be made that the more fundamental a symbol is, the more applications and representations it will hold. This would mean that these single static images will often have the most interpretations of all.

In today’s post we will take a look at two examples of this type of symbol and consider the sorts of things that they might stand for. I should first note, though, that while both of these symbols are religious, neither is divinely established in any religious text. There is no scripture that says that these specific symbols should be part of the iconography of the Jewish or Christian people, so let us not assume that these symbols are necessarily under God’s authorship.

The Star of David)

The first symbol we will consider is the Star of David. This six-pointed star has long been a symbol of the Jewish faith and is even the central element in the flag of Israel. Perhaps the first representation that we see in it is the fact that it is a star, or a sun, thus something that provides light and guidance, or which can be a marker to guide us along our way.

We also notice that there is one large hexagon in the middle, surrounded by six small triangles that extend from its sides. This could be seen as God in the center, with all other creations gathered in observation of Him. It even brings to mind Joseph’s dream of standing in the midst of his brethren as they bowed to him.

Of course, one can also see the shapes of two equilateral triangles, one upright and one inverted, offset and overlapping. With this view in mind, we can see one triangle as God descending downward and the other as mankind extending upward, the overlap being where the two come into union with one another. To the Jew, that place of union could be seen as the Law or the temple, while to the Christian it would be Christ.

The Christian Cross)

The Christian Cross must be one of the simplest symbols ever made: two lines crossing at right angles. Of course, it immediately invokes memories of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. When considering that application, it becomes simultaneously a symbol of man’s greatest cruelty and God’s greatest mercy, an interesting paradox.

The vertical line of the cross can also be seen to stand for God, while the horizontal line stands for the earth, or the horizon. The point of juncture in the middle then has a similar meaning to the overlapping triangles in the Star of David: the place where heaven meets earth, meaning the church or Jesus.

With our modern system of world coordination, the crossing lines can also be seen as a longitude and a latitude, suggesting the ability to pinpoint where we stand spiritually, or suggesting a guided destination for where we need to go.

Summary)

We could go on quite a bit lot longer in our analysis of each symbol. Hopefully this has been enough to establish that their simplicity does not make their applications few. Rather, it is the inverse. Because they are such a basic representation of something so fundamental, their applications are virtually infinite. They are literal signs, pointing the way to much, much more