A UNIQUE FAMILY PERSPECTIVE – THE KINSHIP OF CHRIST AND THE KIN-DOM OF GOD
Smitten By Faith Summer June Issue Number # 000090 28th June 2024
When we speak of ‘kinship’, the word usually means relationships and familial affinity based on ties of blood, marriage or other connections on both parent’s side. Each person in an extended family unit is inter-connected with one another; a community, which shares and supports each other. In fact, the phrase ‘kith and kin’ in medieval English has always included not just one’s blood relatives but also the extended cohesive group of one’s neighbours ( kinfolk).
To have ‘kith and kin’ is indeed surely heart-warming; so precious.
And, as Christians, we are fortunate to have more than just our earthly kith and kin. On a spiritual level, we also have this wondrous unique relationship and very special connection with God which, yes, we can also term as ‘kinship’ with our spiritual family.
A kinship in Christ in the ‘kin-dom’ of God. Wow !
In God’s church, all Christians are part of the family of God and as Christians, it is this spiritual kinship which strengthens and empowers us as a community - sharing, loving, caring for and serving each other.
Far right : A drawing of the Greek monogram χριστός for ‘Khristos’ - Christ or the ‘anointed one’. It consists of the superimposed Greek letters ⳩ ‘chi’ (Χ) and ‘rho’ (Ρ), which are the first two letters of the Greek χριστός.
Centre : Excavated in Rome, a 4th century early Christian funeral gravestone of a young woman, with the same first two letters of the Greek Christogram ⳩ placed on top of the Latin funeral inscription.
Far Left: Ancient coin of the Roman Emperor Constantine I. This shows the labarum or the military standard of Constantine I ( proudly) surmounted by the ⳩ Christogram.
The pictures above show very different representations of the Christogram ⳩ - the superimposed two Greek letters ⳩‘chi’ (Χ) and ‘rho’ (Ρ) which together form the first two letters of the Greek word ‘ χριστός ‘ or Khristos ( anglicized as ‘Christ’) - the Messiah or the anointed one.
The picture in the far left shows a coin of the Emperor Constantine I. See how the labarum or the military standard of Constantine I is surmounted on top by the ⳩ Christogram. This is clearly an Emperor’s proud acknowledgement and declaration of his kinship with Christ. This remarkable transformation of the Emperor Constantine happened instantly and immediately soon after his conversion to Christianity in 312 CE when he saw a vision of God. ( See further description of Constantine below ).
And, moving from an exalted Emperor to just a common person, we see in the central picture above, an ancient 4th century gravestone excavated in Rome. Here we have a funeral Latin inscription carved in stone but right on top of the Latin words and taking up half the space, the stone mason has carved the same Greek Christogram ⳩ (Chi (X) and Rho (P) ) which was to declare the dead person’s kinship with Christ . As a matter of interest, the Latin words on the stone say : “May Ursigina ‘little daughter of a bear’ [ probably a nickname ] live in God. Dead at the age of 25 (XXV). Sleep in peace. May she enjoy (her) rest.” I can almost hear the family of the young Ursigina urge the stone mason – go on - carve boldly for our dear Ursigina who has gone to eternal rest to join Christ her kin in the kin-dom of God !
STRENGTHENING OUR SPIRITUAL KINSHIP -Power of Christian Communities
Right : Some of the magnificent wall frescoes of the Greek Orthodox Asinou Church in Nikitari, Cyprus which date back to the 11th century and which show the close fraternity of the early Christian community.
Left : Detail of one of the frescoes showing the Apostles who all were for sure, God’s kith and kin.
There are many beautiful ancient wall frescoes at the centuries old Greek Orthodox Asinou Church in Nikitari, Cyprus which demonstrate beautifully the close-knit community of the early Christians and its deep kinship with Christ - even as they suffered persecution and uncertainty from their pagan Roman masters. The detail above shows the steadfast Apostles who played such a critical role in the development of the early Christian church. After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the ‘family’ of Christians was to grow beyond all expectations from its original roots in the small Jewish Christian community – far and wide across mountains, lands and seas.
From the ancient Roman Empire, we saw the miraculous conversion to Christianity of the Emperor Constantine I after a vision he experienced in Rome in 312 CE . As the first Christian Emperor and founder of the Byzantine Empire, Constantine moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to Byzantium or Constantinople and he legalized Christianity and his kinship with Christ. Constantine endowed his ‘family’ of Christians with generous funds to build basilicas and churches; returned confiscated property to the Church and gave them property rights; he named Christians to high-ranking offices and exempted the Christian clergy from taxes.
As a result, Christianity flourished and grew by the millions. In 325 CE, Constantine gathered together all the Bishops of Christendom at the First Council of Bishops at the ancient city of Nicaea ( now the Turkish city of Iznik ). This Council resolved various issues and ensured the unity of the Church. It also adopted the famous ‘Nicean Creed’ which is today accepted by all Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox Christians. The ‘I Believe’ - such a powerful attestation of kinship of the Christian faithful - a prayer which binds all Christians who gather together in this wonderful spiritual kinship and family of God.
Right : The Council of Nicaea, an 18th century painting by F. Pavlovsky, I Maksimovych, A. Galik, G. Karayaev and others. The crowned and enthroned figure of Jesus Christ is in the centre of the painting which emphasizes his spiritual headship of the Council. The painting is at the Gate Church of the Trinity in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Left : ‘The Emblem of Christ Appearing to Constantine on Constantine's Conversion’ by Peter Paul Rubens (1622); oil on panel; Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Christians are believers who practice the teachings of the Apostles who in turn received them from Jesus Christ. All in an unbroken chain. The kinship with Christ means that we care for others, we love our fellow men and we work to lead them to God - a relational wholeness and union with each other in the family and kin-ship of God. For me as a Catholic, I see my journey not only as an individual but as part of this unique Christian community. We walk together and as Jesus did with his sheep, use the special gifts which God has given us, to shepherd each other – our Christian kith and kin.
“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
(John 17:20).
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Editor’s Note :
Dear Reader, thank you for reading this edition of SMITTEN BY FAITH. We publish every fortnightly on a Saturday except during the Summer holidays when we publish only once a month. This issue is the June issue. ALL articles in every issue are FREE so you can simply click and subscribe as a FREE Subscriber to continuously receive the articles automatically by email.
For this June issue, I would like to thank my friend, John Van Praag, a classical scholar ( among his other accomplishments ) who has contributed some articles before to Smitten By Faith. John helped me with the Greek and Latin translations in today’s article. Thank you, John.