The fourth panel contains symbols of building. For example, we see Ezra rebuilding the Temple after the people of Israel returned from their exile. As well, we see St. Ansgar building churches and communities in the Scandinavian countries. Also in this panel is the symbol of the menorah, a seven branched candleholder. The menorah comes from the Jewish tradition, but Christians also use it to symbolize the seven-fold gift of the Holy Spirit: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, the Spirit of joy in God’s presence (Isaiah 11:2-3). In the bottom left of this panel is the Chi-Rho symbol, deriving from the first two letters of the word Christ (XRISTOS) in Greek.
Written by Tim & Alannah Hegedus, April 1996