Throughout this Easter season, as we read daily from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear again and again of the Holy Spirit—disciples filled with the Spirit, the promise of the Spirit, the
marvelous works of the Spirit. While artist Ingrid Blixt created this month’s cover image for an Advent Bible study (openjourney.faith), all seasons and all times belong to the Holy Spirit, who is always the living, dynamic third person of the Trinity, moving in God’s Church throughout all time.
Blixt’s image combines several symbolic components often associated with the Holy Spirit. The orange and yellow flame-like elements remind us of the tongues of fire that descended upon the disciples when the Spirit was first poured out on them at Pentecost. The flames appear like panes of a stained-glass image, itself a reminder of how divine light enters our lives, piercing the darkness that separates us from God. Surrounding the flames is a background of various shades of blue and a pattern of splatters reminiscent of water, recalling our baptism, the first time we Christians receive the Holy Spirit. The most familiar symbol of the Spirit is the dove, which we connect with the story of Christ’s baptism when the Holy Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove.
All of these elements are presented within the context of a large ichthus, the fish-shaped symbol for Christ. At the center of the ichthus is a glowing light that can be interpreted as the source of all light, the Creator. The Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, flows from the other two persons of the Trinity, the Creator and the Redeemer.
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in us the fire of your love!
