I am being silly!

Many have seen the “fish decals” on the boots (trunks) of cars. Here is what it is all about


The use of the Ichthys symbol by early Christians appears to date from towards the end of the 1st century AD.

Ichthus (the Greek word for fish) is an acronym, which is a word formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name. It compiles to "Jesus Christ God's Son is Saviour" or "Jesus Christ God's Son Saviour".

Iota is the first letter of Iesous Greek for Jesus.
Chi is the first letter of Christos Greek for "anointed".
Theta is the first letter of Theou genitive case of "God".
Upsilon is the first letter of Huios Greek for Son.
Sigma is the first letter of Soter Greek for Saviour.


I see more than enough of them in SRQ, often placed the wrong way round. But I feel certain that more than half the population does not know what they represent.

Fish feature a good bit in the Gospel stories, and some have posited that the Eucharist might have been a meal of bread and fish - from the feeding miracles. Just as well that it wasn’t. Dried and salted Cod at northern clime Churches in mid-winter might not have brought folks nearer to God. Wine is much more jolly!

But I was thinking, as one does, “what if fish had become a chief Christian motif, and we had named our Churches for fish instead of Saints?”

Just imagine

“St. Haddock’s-by-the-Sea”

“St. Tilapia and All Cat Fish”

“St. Minnow the Lesser”

“St. Monkfish the Monastic”

“St. Carp the Complainer”

“St. Crab the Miserable” (yes, yes, I know that a crab is not a fish!)

“Holy Hakes”

“Blessed Guppies”

“St. Bass the Profound” (a musical fish)

“The Church of the Good Swordfish”.

“All Halibuts”.

“The Plaice Place” (a modern “with-it” Church)

“All Soles Church”

“St Koi the Shy”

“St. Black Crappie” (‘nuff said!)

“St. Wahoo the Wonderful”

“Holy Grouper the Friendly”

And of course I could go on and on. But you may click on “comment” and add your suggestion.

Tomorrow (20th November) I’ll have a guest blogger (posting at about 9:00 a.m.) and then this blog will take a rest until the weekend. (Povey is off to Cape Cod - now there’s a religious sounding place!).

Comments

  1. Suzer19 November 2007 at 22:14

    St. Tuna of Sandwich? :)

    Guest blogger? Now you've got me curious!

    Have a wonderful trip to the Cape.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous25 November 2007 at 20:09

    Hi Michael
    Don't forget St. Polycarp!

    ReplyDelete

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