Trinity Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

Christmas Window

The Christmas window brims with imagery of the incarnation.  One striking feature of this window that will recur in the subsequent ones is the bold, vertical shaft of light.  In this scene, the star in the East that led the magi shines on the stable and illuminates the manger.  The dark background of night only acts to intensify the image of the "light shining in the darkness which the darkness cannot overcome" (John 1:5).  The symbol for the Christ child is the Chi Rho, an ancient anagram that dates back to the second century.  It is derived from the first two letters of the Greek word XPICTOC (pronouned Christos).  The stable and the manger are traditional and remind the faithful of the humble circumstances of the birth of the Son of God. 

The minor theme is "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).  The lamp is the traditional symbol for the life giving light of the Savior.  It also calls to mind for the faithful other stories about lamps in Jesus' teachings -- especially the light that should not be hidden under a bushel (Matthew 5:14-16).  Jesus reminded his friends that now they are "the light of the world" as they carry on his ministry.