Did you know that during the first 300 years or so of Christianity, the cross was NOT the central symbol of our faith?

Instead, an anchor was the dominant symbol.  The cross only took on a dominant place after Emperor Constantine of Rome converted to Christianity following his vision of a cross in the sky carrying the words “In this sign, conquer” in Latin.

He credited this sign for his victory in the battle of Milvian Bridge in 312   which followed the morning after his vision.  Constantine began propagating the symbol of the cross thereafter and it ceased being a symbol of torture and death and instead became one of resurrection and new life.

The anchor, on the other hand, pre-dates Christianity and was widely used in ancient Greece.  Christians adopted it during the time of Roman persecution (before Constantine) when followers of Christ were regularly killed in horrific fashion by Rome.  The symbol was tied to a verse from Hebrews 6:19 which reads “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest forever.” 

I think we should consider recovering the anchor as a Christian symbol.  It is rarely seen today.  Maybe that’s because we are not as tied to the sea as we once were.  The comfort and solace it brought to our forebears in faith, however, is certainly something we could use more of today.

In light of mass shootings like the one in Lewiston, considering the rightwing fanaticism that has overtaken the House of Representatives, and mindful of the Israeli-Hamas war and Russian imperialism in Ukraine among too many other dark things, it is so very easy to feel battered about and lose hope.

The anchor of our lives in these days should be our faith.  When we stay anchored to God and close to Christ, we can find assurance, hope, peace, and renewal.  

It can be a helpless feeling to watch so many tragic things unfold in the world.  It is vital that we remember that we are not helpless.  We are not lost.  We are not forgotten.  God is with us and will not abandon us or our world.  

The question for those early Christians is the same for us today: To what will we anchor our lives?  That is, will we align ourselves with the forces of chaos and hate, or will be those who embody connection, love, and possibility because we are anchored to the source of all that is good.

The anchor is a symbol of safety, hope, and security.  I hope that you consider First Congregational Church to be an anchor in your life.  It is a place to remember to whom you belong, and to what you are called.  

FCC is a place to remember that, despite everything, you are actually more okay than you think you are.

See you in church,

–Rev. Dominic