by A. J. PHILIP
Not many people know that fish, not cross, was the symbol of early Christianity. But anybody who knows something about the religion which is Asian, not Western, in origin also knows why fish became its symbol. Jesus was a carpenter by profession but his disciples were mostly from what is called the community of fish workers. Like Dalits who resent the word “Harijan” because it is condescending, they dislike the Malayalam word ‘mukkuvar’ (fishermen) because it is a slur.
The Bible is replete with imageries and symbolism of fishing. This may have something to do with the miraculous multiplication of five loaves of bread and two fish and the repast of the seven disciples, after the Resurrection, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. They are transformed into catchers of men, not fish. The Greek word for fish is “ichthys”, an acronym for “Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter”, meaning “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour”. In short, ichthys (fish) contains the cardinal belief of Christians.
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