All those “peace signs” I drew as a kid, my seven year old draws now … Uh-oh!

On the sign in front of St. Benedict Orthodox Church is what is called a “three-bar cross.” Rather than the usual one transept intersecting the main post, there are three, including a small transept at the bottom which is angled upward on the right side. This unusual cross is uniquely Russian Orthodox, but it is so uncommon in this part of the country that recent passers-by of our church felt pressed to ask us if it was a satanic sign.

I am assuming that they mistook it for the satanic inverted cross with broken transepts [sometimes called the “peace” sign]. This question begged the issue of explaining why we use the three-bar cross.

As I mentioned above, the three-bar cross derives from the Russian Orthodox (Christian) tradition. However, its powerful symbolism has made it popular among many Orthodox Christians regardless of their jurisdiction. It is unclear what the origin of the three bars is …

Read the whole article from the Times-Record News, Wichita Falls, Texas – HERE.

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