The Chi Rho is a very ancient monogram
that is commonly used in nearly every Christian tradition: Roman
Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. Next to the cross, it is
probably the most widely used of Christian symbols. The letters
"X" and "P" are the first two letters of
"Christ" in Greek. They are superimposed to form the
monogram that is displayed in the fourth north window. The letters
also form the first two letters of the Greek word "Christos
Rex," or Christ the King. The "X" is identical to
the St. Andrew's cross. It is common to see the Chi Rho on altar
hangings, vestments, banners, hymnals, and sometimes Bibles.
The Chi Rho was originally a rather
militaristic, triumphal, conquering symbol. The symbol became
popular under the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine. It
was used on the armor of his armies, stannards, flag staffs,
coinage, statues, palace decorations, and sarcophagi. Flags flew
from staffs that were topped by a Latin cross with the Chi Rho at
the top, often within a circle.
Constantine was converted to Christ
on the eve of his military victory over Maxentious in 312 AD.
Maxentious claimed title to the empire and led a strong revolt.
When Constantine was planning his attack, he saw a vision at
noonday of a cross of light superimposed above the sun and heard a
voice proclaiming, "By this sign you will conquer." That
night in a dream Christ commanded him to use the Chi Rho in all
his military engagements. After his victory in the battle of the
Milvian Bridge, Constantine embraced Christianity. He came to see
himself as the chosen servant of the "Highest Divinity,"
which he identified as the God of the Christians.
Scholars debate whether the vision
was legend or fiction; whether he was consolidating political
power by accommodating to the growing number of Christians; and
whether the conversion was real, political, or a mix. Constantine
soon had his armies baptized. Laws were changed. Church bishops
were given civil authority. Clergy were favored. He tried to
mediate in various church doctrinal disputes. His mother, Helena,
went off to the Holy Land famously seeking the true cross of
Christ; identifying holy locations for the birth, crucifixion, and
resurrection of Christ; and later having grand churches built upon
those locations. Under Constantine the Roman Empire became
Especially during the Crusades of
the Middle Ages to reclaim the Holy Land from the Muslim
"infidels," soldiers, volunteers, and even children
commonly marched off under the sign of the Chi Rho. It became
associated with a crusading, militant, Christian spirit. The
bloodshed and excess of the crusades was reprehensible, and came
to represent the very opposite of the spirit of Christ and the
ethics of Biblical Christianity. The Chi Rho still powerfully
represents triumph, but of a spiritual, non-warring kind. It
represents personal and societal victory over the power of sin in
the world. Today Christians ought to be militant for love,
kindness, goodness, and personal faith in Jesus.
The design is of simple, clean, and
unadorned lines. It is not encircled. The Chi is colored dark red
or maroon, and the Rho is colored a streaked yellow and green. The
inscription in the small window above is from Psalm 100:4:
"And into his courts with praise." This seems to be
linked in message to the first smaller window, "0 go your way
into his gates with thanksgiving."