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Historically, the symbol of the flaming chalice was inspired
by Jan Hus, a religious leader in the late fourteenth
century. Where previously the common folk had to rely on
priests to translate from the Latin, Hus gave the Bible to
the people, who translated it into their own words. And in
time, while the Church reserved the communion wine for the
priest, he gave the chalices to the people, that they might
have both bread and wine together. For these and other
heresies, the Church ordered Jan Hus burned at the stake in
the year 1419. After his death, the people he had served
combined the fire of his martyrdom with the communion cup to
create the symbol of the flaming chalice, which became the
symbol of freedom in Czechoslovakia. During the Second World
War, it was adopted by
the
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee which was
working to fight Nazism in Eastern Europe.
Today, many
Unitarian Universalist congregations light the chalice at
the beginning of their Sunday services as a potent symbol of
the "light of reason, the warmth of life, and the fire of
our passion for justice." This is a tradition our
congregation has followed since the 1980s, though sometimes
a chalice, often it's a candle colonnade that we light as we
have a Chalice Lighting Reading.
One such reading from our Hymnal is as follows: “We gather
this hour as people of faith with joys and sorrow, gifts and
needs. We light this beacon of hope, sign of our quest for
truth and meaning, in celebration of the life we share
together.” (Reading 448; Singing the Living Tradition, by
Reverend Christine Robinson)
This flaming chalice has evolved as our common unifying
visual metaphor and has become a well-known symbol for our
denomination. It is a focal point; it unites our members and
symbolizes the spirit of our time and work together as
community. Interestingly, there is no official meaning, nor
any single interpretation for this important symbol. What
follows is a sampling of ideas taken from Unitarian
Universalist web pages on what it means to some people.
It has been said the design’s creator considered it as “a
chalice with a flame, the kind of chalice in which the
Greeks and Romans put on their altars. The holy oil burning
in it is a symbol of helpfulness and sacrifice…this was in
the mind of the artist.”
In many modern versions of this design, two outer circles
appear, signifying the Unitarian and Universalist traditions
woven into one. (The two originally liberal Christian groups
merged in 1961, but the design goes back to World War II.)
The off center chalice and flame recall imagery from many
religious traditions. The chalice image appears as the cup
of Christ and in the Christian stories of search for the
Holy Grail; a lighted lantern is found in the Greek story of
Diogenes, who carried a lantern in broad daylight as he
searched for an honest man; and the Romans used chalices as
part of their set of religious tools.
Ultimately, the meaning of the flaming chalice lies in the
eye, and the heart, of the beholder. The chalice can reflect
sustenance, generosity, and sharing we all need. The flame
might mirror courage, sacrifice, witness, and illumination,
or it could be a metaphor for truth, wisdom, and freedom.
Or perhaps you could interpret the chalice as the ground of
being, and the flame as the universal search for meaning,
compassion, and purpose.
You get the idea…perhaps a nice way to think about it is
that the flaming chalice, like our faith, stands open to
receive new truths that pass the tests of reason, justice,
and compassion. |
