Symbols of St Paul’s Parish
The Tree Of Life
East Kew abounds with trees and bird life (with the Yarra River nearby). As a ‘home place’ we enjoy a peaceful, restful, safe and friendly environment. Within this setting our parish community we can think of God’s ‘life giving tree’. We offer a particular place for people to gather freely, to connect, to shelter and be fed and nurtured, and to celebrate. We give and receive care and grow in our appreciation of all that God blesses us with in this life and in expectation of a fullness beyond.
The natural force of ‘the great tree’ image is picked up in Scripture. Like God it offers shelter: birds come and go as they please and food is given. Christ is presented as the fruitful, life giving tree and those who make up Christ’s Church are spoken of the fruitful branches who also offer food, care and shade against the harsh elements. Perhaps a reclaiming of the Garden of Paradise is suggested. In a shadowy way the tree is also an image associated with loss and destruction: the expulsion from Eden, the cursed wood of Christ’s cross.
It is a rich image that seems appropriate for us at St Paul’s: our parish Mission & Vision statements incorporate many of these themes.
There is a rich variety of references to this image in Scripture:
- Ezekiel 17:22-24
‘God’s is a noble and fruitful tree — many birds find shelter.’ - Mark 4:30-32
‘God’s Kingdom is like a small seed that becomes a great bush.’ - John 15:5
‘Jesus said, “I am the vine (tree), you are the branches. Those who abide in me, and I in them, bear much fruit.”’ - Galatians 5:22
‘The fruit of the spirit is love, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’ - Revelation 2:7
‘Christ’s followers come to the tree of Life in God’s paradise.’ - Revelation 22:14
‘People can eat the fruit.’
(Contrast the ‘forbidden fruit’ in Genesis)
St Paul’s Emblem
This Parish emblem is depicted in a work of art, in metal, located prominently on our Church wall facing the street.
Christ is our All
It shows the ‘Alpha’ and ‘Omega’ which are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Through all the Church’s history these have been used to depict Christ as ‘the first and the last—the beginning and the end’. (Greek was the language of the early Church in which the story of Christ was original recorded.) It also shows a crown to signify that for Christians, Christ is ‘King’.
The Sword of the Spirit
It also shows crossed swords. This is from the shield of St Paul (see below) after whom our Parish takes its name. Paul was one of the great characters and servants of the early Church. At first Paul (or Saul as he was first named) was implacably hostile to the early Christians: he regarded them as a wayward sect within Judaism. Stephen was the Church’s first martyr and it was Paul who had him killed!
It was when Saul was travelling from Jerusalem to Damascus (so he could continue hostilities against new Christians there) that an event changed his life. In the account we have (Acts 9) he saw a blinding light, was thrown to the ground and asked by Christ, ‘Why are you persecuting me?’ Paul was never thew same again.
Paul’s life was turned around and he sought to become a Christian. The Church was understandably wary of this convert but in time he was embraced. He changed his name to Paul (Greek version of the Jewish Saul) and was so utterly claimed by his experience of the Risen One that he surrendered his whole life to following and serving Christ.
Through many years of travel and dangers and proclaiming the Good News of Christ and sharing his life with others in the way of love he in fact became one of the foundation apostles. He is remembered as a remarkable character who always ‘fought the good fight!’. Paul was zealous but also great because he was warm hearted, empathetic and sought in every way to meet people ‘where they were’ to commend Christ successfully.
He who had availed himself of real swords as he breathed ‘threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord’ was directly called by Christ to wield the spiritual sword of the Gospel as he carried His name to people of many lands and (probably) died a martyr’s death in Rome (with St Peter in about 64CE). It was not with physical might or power but by the Spirit of God that he lived out his extraordinary life.
Paul’s shield shows an open Bible on which the words Spiritus Gladius are written. St Paul himself interprets this symbol for us in his words to the Ephesians (6:17): ‘Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.’ The Epistle to the Hebrews (4:12) says, ‘The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intention of the heart.’
‘The Word of God’ is associated with the Bible but in the end, the ‘living Word’ that Paul served was the living Christ. (The New Testament—that part of the Bible which deal with Christ—was either written by Paul or by writers who came after him!)
The Spirit of God
This association of Paul with the Spirit of God is depicted more clearly in the Parish’s emblem which actually incorporates the dove motif (which is taken universally by Christians to indicate ‘the ‘Spirit of God’.)