Read Philippians 2:9–11; Colossians 1:15–17
ALSO IN SCRIPTURE
“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NLT)
Symbols carry memory and meaning far beyond words. The Church has always leaned on them—sometimes hidden in plain sight, sometimes dismissed or distorted. Yet the most powerful symbols are those that subvert the world’s expectations and draw us back to the radical heart of the Gospel. In this series, we’ll look closer at the sacred signs that shock, unsettle, and ultimately call us deeper into Christ.
Part 16: Chi-Rho (☧). Before the cross became the global emblem of Christianity, the early Church marked its allegiance with two Greek letters—Chi (Χ) and Rho (Ρ)—the first two of Christos. It was a quiet confession in a dangerous world, simple yet profound: Christ is Lord.
Then came Constantine. On the eve of battle, he claimed to see a vision of the Chi-Rho in the sky, accompanied by the words, “In this sign, you will conquer.” The next day, his soldiers marched beneath the symbol—and Rome’s empire was never the same. The Chi-Rho that once whispered resistance was soon stamped on shields, coins, and crowns. The sign of surrender became the seal of state power.
What began as a declaration of divine humility was twisted into divine endorsement. The confession “Christ is Lord” was repurposed to mean “Christ backs me.”
But Revelation unmasks the lie: every empire that borrows Christ’s name to bless its violence becomes the beast it claims to slay. In John’s vision, the Lamb conquers not by killing but by being slain—power turned inside out. The Chi-Rho once carried that same defiance long before Constantine ever marched beneath it: Christ conquers not by the sword, but by surrender.
The mark of the true Christ can never adorn the weapons of empire. The Chi-Rho reminds us that faith is not endorsement of empire; it is its undoing—a sign of the Lamb who reigns by losing, and wins by love.
Today, symbols of faith are still co-opted. Crosses fly on political flags. Fish become bumper stickers. Scripture verses are printed on ads to sanctify the sale. The same empire impulse lingers—to use the sacred as a stamp of legitimacy.
After all, is not “In God We Trust” stamped on our currency? The empire still prints piety onto its power, mistaking divine allegiance for divine approval.
Yet for me, the Chi-Rho still carries sacred weight. I wear it tattooed around the symbols of Holy Communion—a frame around the cup and the bread. It reminds me what the emblem truly means: not victory over others, but union with Christ’s self-giving love.
The Chi-Rho was never meant to crown conquerors. It was meant to cradle the cup and the bread—the sign of surrender that saves. The real victory is still love lived out despite the fact it costs something real.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY
The sign of Christ isn’t meant to mark our victories, but to unmask our idols.PRAYER
Christ of the Cross and Cup, strip our symbols of pride and power until only love remains. When the world wields your name for its gain, let your Spirit reclaim it through our surrender. Write your sign not on our flags, but on our hearts, that we may conquer only by compassion. Amen.
Devotion written by Rev. Todd R. Lattig with the assistance of ChatGPT (OpenAI).