By Stéphane Bataillon
Sometimes it is good to reflect on our primary motivations, to question what drives us, for example, to explore together the rich Christian symbolism. In an era when many young people and even those not so young are searching for new points of reference to give meaning to their lives, symbolism can serve as that gateway into Christianity, that “ability of a collection of symbols to create a world,” according to the philosopher Guy Lardreau (1947 –2008), noted for his influential work on symbolism.
But what is a symbol? From the Greek to symbolon, a symbol is, above all, an object of recognition, like a shard of pottery, a coin, or a seal cut into two parts that are given to two different people destined to be reunited. When brought together, these parts allow for the unmistakable identification of their bearers and enable the delivery of a message or information that had been kept hidden—provided they fit together perfectly, with no play between them.
Recognizing what resonates within us
That is why the symbol derives from justice and truth, for although its interpretations are manifold (consider, for example, the various meanings attributed in the Bible to such common elements as water, the tree, or salt), we must ensure, as philosopher Michel Cazenave (1942–2018) renowned for his contributions to Jungian psychology and thought, reminded us “to make rigorous use of the symbol, lest it leads us into the confusion of thought. (…) Every symbolic image naturally calls forth another, and we end up with an infinite chain where everything and anything comes to symbolize something else.” Hence, the necessary, fragile, and sensitive alliance between reason and imagination when approaching this forest of signs, which, through texts and Tradition, is charged with making visible that which is invisible, leaving mystery its inviolable share.
Thus, reading biblical texts becomes even more rewarding and profound when one has access to the accepted interpretations, filtered by Tradition and the Church Fathers of each element mentioned. Far beyond the sensational aspects developed in popular literature (consider the figure of Robert Langdon, the symbologist of Dan Brown’s best-sellers), symbolic culture allows us to recognize what resonates within us, transcending time and cultures, and to see ourselves reflected therein.
An additional insight
Pope Francis’s fourth encyclical, Dilexit Nos (“He Loved Us”), provides further insight into the meaning and importance of symbols in our lives. Delving into the significance of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, he explains:
The heart is also capable of unifying and harmonizing our personal history, which may seem hopelessly fragmented, yet is the place where everything can make sense. The Gospel tells us this in speaking of Our Lady, who saw things with the heart. She was able to dialogue with the things she experienced by pondering them in her heart, treasuring their memory and viewing them in a greater perspective. The best expression of how the heart thinks is found in the two passages in Saint Luke’s Gospel that speak to us of how Mary “treasured (synetérei) all these things and pondered (symbállousa) them in her heart” (cf. Lk 2:19 and 51). The Greek verb symbállein, “ponder”, evokes the image of putting two things together (“symbols”) in one’s mind and reflecting on them, in a dialogue with oneself.”
A space for connection
This continuous and necessary oscillation between the external and the internal, between the collective and the individual, between the other and oneself which Christianity so profoundly embodies creates a space. A space of relationships that is always unexpected, allowing us to find our place in the world. A space that is constantly in motion, evolving toward the heart of a living life, beyond the confines of space and time. A space of ordered words and silences, viewed through the lens of “I am who I will be,” a definition contained within the tetragrammaton YHWH, which sets us on the path toward that unity so long sought with ourselves and with God.
This harmony to which Pope Francis refers can be contemplated and embraced amidst the deluges of our lives by watching a dove return to us with an olive branch. But that is another story, another poem, inviting other symbols along our path. A promise of adventure. – La Croix International
Stéphane Bataillon is a poet, writer, and journalist. In 2010, he published his first collection of poetry Où nos ombres s’épousent (Where our Shadows Wed), and his latest in 2024 is Permettre aux étoiles (Allow the Stars).
