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The Nativity Window

This window was dedicated to the Glory of God and in memory of Thomas Judson Wright, Jr. (1886-1947).

The theme of this first window is "God With Us," and the scriptures that inform it are Isaiah 7:14 – “ . . . a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel" - and Matthew 1:23 - " ... a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

Main Scene:
In the background we see the stable, and at the center we see Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, the three principal figures of the Nativity. Each wears a round halo, for they are sacred, or eternal figures. (Since the world was once thought to be square, non-sacred or earthly figures were assigned square halos.) Three rays comprise the halo of the baby Jesus: each represents one third of the Trinity, and is the color of both blood and the blood emotion of love. Mary wears blue, for she has borne divine Truth, and Joseph wears brown, which symbolizes humility, and carries a candle, which symbolizes God's guidance. The lamb in the scene represents Jesus, the lamb who sacrificed himself for the sins of the world.

Vignettes:
On the bottom left we see the three Wise Men. (This number comes not from the Bible, however, but from legend, which ascribes one Wise Man to each of the three gifts given Jesus.) In the upper right we see angels - God's messengers of hope and bearers of "glad tidings" - appearing to the shepherds.

Upper Roundel:
Depicts the Star of the East or the Epiphany Star. Its downward thrust of light symbolizes God's guidance of the subject illuminated.

Lower Roundel:
Depicts the Rose of Sharon, a symbol of both messianic promise and the Virgin Mary.

Diamonds:
Moving clockwise, from bottom left to bottom right, we see: 

1. the letters XP, or Chi Rho, the oldest monogram for Christ found in Christian symbolism; X and P are the first two letters of the Greek "Christos," or Christ
2. three crowns, representative of the three Wise Men
3. a fleur-de-lis, symbolizing royalty and the Virgin Mary, "Queen of Heaven"
4. a cluster of grapes and a sheaf of wheat, foreshadowing the fact that the then - baby Jesus will one day give his body and blood for the salvation of mankind
5. three pots, representative of the three gifts of the Wise Men
6. a stylized Alpha and a stylized Omega, the first and last letters, respectively, of the Greek alphabet; when combined, they signify the fact that Jesus is both beginning and end
7. three staves, representative of the nearby shepherds
8. a daisy, which in the 15th century came to represent Jesus, a man of the fields.

Next Window:
The Baptism Window