The famous icon of the Resurrection, or Anastasis in Greek, carries profound theological meaning. During the three days between the Crucifixion and the Resurrection, Christ descends into Hades to destroy its power and conquer death. Christ is clothed in white, representing heavenly glory. He breaks into Hades, standing over its shattered gates, beneath which lie the broken chains and locks that once held mankind captive. Below, the bound and defeated figure of the devil is depicted. Surrounding Christ is a blue oval, the “mandorla”, symbolizing the uncreated light of His divinity. The mountains themselves bow before Him. To His right stands John the Baptist, the Forerunner, who continued preparing the way for the Lord even in Hades. Beside St John are King David and King Solomon. To Christ’s left is Abel, the first shepherd, being raised by the Good Shepherd. At the center, Christ grasps Adam and Eve, who represent all humanity, by the wrists and pulls them out of Hades. They reach toward Him, but it is He who raises them by His power because they cannot do it by themselves. This is the heart of the icon: the restoration of humanity and the victory over death. ܩܡ ܡܪܢ ܡܢ ܩܒܪܐ! Christ is risen!

Have you ever seen someone wearing a red and white cord around their wrist and immediately thought, “They must be Syriac”? To most people, it may look like a simple wristband, but behind it stands a deep theological tradition. This is an ancient tradition that we Syriac Orthodox Christians observe every year on March 25, when we commemorate the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. With her humble reply to the angel, “May your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38) the course of history was changed. In her womb, heaven met earth. In her womb, the Son of God became man. In Syriac, this feast is called Soboro ܣܘܒܪܐ. We commemorate it with the Holy Liturgy, after which the priest or bishop blesses the siboro: a red and white cord as seen in the image above, often worn around the wrist. Through this small but profound tradition, we confess the faith of our fathers in the Incarnation of Christ. The red symbolizes Christ’s humanity, and the white His divinity. The two colors are joined as one cord, just as humanity and divinity are united in the one incarnate nature of God the Word.

Often I hear the question: “Will you fast this year’s Lent?” I always find it strange to answer. Not because the answer is hard, but because I am trying to understand what the question assumes. Christ warns against fasting for show and tells us to fast “in secret”. Yet the New Testament also shows the Church fasting together. The community in Antioch fasts and prays before sending out Barnabas and Saul, and elders are appointed “with prayer and fasting”. And, since the Church is one Body in Christ, a common fast is not a private lifestyle choice. It is the Body’s shared practice. So when the Church enters a common fast, the question “Will you fast?” can feel like asking whether I will participate in the body’s own life. If I belong to the Body, why would my default stance be to stand outside its rhythm? Perhaps that is what the question sometimes reveals: not a curiosity about food, but an inner hesitation about belonging. Not a debate about fasting rules, but a fear of commitment. Of being fully joined to the Church’s common life, rather than keeping everything safely private. Some people separate church and secular life, some people commit everything to church. What commitment have you made?

In the Church, all the senses are engaged in worship, and smell is no exception. In the Syriac Orthodox Church, incense is regularly used, and both the incense and the censer carry deep symbolism. The censer is made with four chains, one in the middle and three on the sides, symbolising the Trinity: God is one in essence and three in person. On the chains are twelve bells that sound beautifully, symbolising the voice of the disciples of Christ preaching the Gospel to the world. The censer itself represents the Virgin Mary, and the coal within it represents Christ (Isaiah 6:6-7). Notice that the coal must be set on fire before being placed in the censer, showing that from the moment of conception Christ was both God and Man in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Only the priest places incense on the burning coal. Under the Mosaic Law, the burning of incense on the holy altar was strictly reserved for Aaron and his descendant priests. It was so crucial to worship that God gave Moses specific instructions on how to create the incense (Exodus 30:34-38). In the Syriac tradition, priests/bishops place the incense on the burning coal while deacons usually carry the censer around the church, as a symbol of the prayers of the believers. The smoke represents the prayers of the faithful, as seen in Revelation 5:8 and 8:3-4, and in Luke 1:9-10 where Zechariah fulfills the priestly duty of burning incense in the temple. Since incense is offered only to what is holy, we see that Christ also received incense as an offering from the Magi. Incense has been used in the worship of God since the Old Testament. It is not a new invention. Despite claims that burning incense is heathen and not Christian, Scripture and tradition show that it has been practiced for thousands of years.

We all recognize this as an icon of our Lord Jesus Christ. You enter the church and move toward the altar, where you notice this icon, usually placed in the center or on the right side of the sanctuary. but is that all? Or does this icon reveal something deeper about our faith? Let us consider some of its details. Christ’s right hand is raised in blessing, with the fingers forming IC XC in Greek, confessing His name as Jesus Christ, also written to His right and left. This hand gesture is the same one used by priests and bishops when giving blessings. In the Syriac tradition, another common gesture depicts Christ raising only His index finger, symbolizing the mystery of the Incarnation, where humanity and divinity are united in the one incarnate nature of God the Word, as taught by the church fathers. This mystery is also expressed through Christ’s garments. The inner garment is blue, symbolizing His humanity, while the outer garment is red or gold, symbolizing divinity and kingship. The cruciform halo also speaks theology. It bears letters in Greek meaning “I AM,” proclaiming Christ as the eternal God. This refers to Exodus 3:14, “I AM WHO I AM,” and John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” In the Syriac tradition, this is written as ܐܢܐ ܐܢܐ, pronounced "Eno (E)no", meaning “I I,” or in other words, “I AM.”

We’ve all seen this icon before, of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. It is found in almost every Orthodox church, especially the Syriac Orthodox Church, but why? Why is it significant, and what symbolism does it bear? There is a lot to unpack here, but let’s start with the basics. The Virgin holding baby Jesus and directing us to Him with her hand gesture leads us to the only way to eternal life, our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ. She acts as the door through which God the Son incarnated and became man to redeem mankind. The close relationship between the incarnate Son of God and His Mother is depicted as a reminder of her role as an intercessor for us before her Son. The three stars on her garments, one on the head and two on each shoulder, symbolize her perpetual virginity: virgin before, during, and after conceiving Christ. Her deep red cloak symbolizes royal dignity, since she is referred to as the Queen, standing at the right hand of the King. Hence, she is traditionally depicted to the right of Christ the King, reminding us of Psalm 45:9: “At Your right hand stands the queen.” Christ’s golden garment symbolizes divinity, or white, symbolizing purity from sin. The golden background and halos symbolize eternity and sainthood. There are other details to mention, but this is sufficient for now. But why is this significant to us? Are icons necessary? Isn’t the Bible enough? For us Syriac Orthodox, icons tell theology. They tell stories and open a door of communication between us on earth and those in heaven. Icons are written, not painted, because by looking at them we read the truths of Scripture. Icons are theology in color, and visual proclamations of the Gospel, inviting us into contemplation and prayer. When we venerate an icon, we do not worship wood and paint, but honor the person depicted and are drawn toward Christ Himself. In this way, the icon of the “Virgin and Child” becomes a silent sermon, ever present, ever teaching, and always reminding us of the salvation found only in Christ Jesus, our Lord.