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of God with angels and authorities and powers subject to him" (1 Peter 3:20b-22, NET). Noah illustrated the Christian's new life through identification with Christ in baptism.

Another common story found among the catacombs was Moses striking the rock in order to produce water for the Israelites in the desert. This story is found in Exodus. The Israelites, recently escaped from slavery under the Egyptians and making their way in the wilderness, reached a point of near-death. God supernaturally provided water for them through Moses' simple act of striking a rock with his rod, and the Israelites survived. To the Christian, this symbolized the spiritual drink of the Eucharist, a symbol of sharing in the body of Christ in death and resurrection (c.f. 1 Corinthians 10).

Finally, early Christians rendered scenes of Abraham and Isaac on the catacomb walls. In this story, Abraham, commanded by God, goes to sacrifice his own son-God's test on Abraham's faith and devotion. God spared Isaac and stopped Abraham's blade before it did Isaac any damage. More than a test, though, to the Christians, this pointed to the Father who did not spare His Son but allowed Him to be a sacrifice for the world. This story pointed to Jesus. Just as Isaac was metaphorically resurrected, so was Jesus physically resurrected.

In addition to Old Testament stories, Christians employed everyday objects as symbols of their hope: the fish, which provided an acrostic of their theology of the Person of Jesus Christ (the letters of the Greek word for fish were used to spell out "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior), the anchor, which connoted hope and steadfastness, and symbols borrowed from pagan art: the peacock and the shepherd, both rife with afterlife paradise meanings. While the peacock remained virtually unchanged, artists infused the common shepherd with Christian meanings, and it became the Good Shepherd. Christ, as the Good Shepherd, "[laid] down his life for his sheep" (John 10:11, NET).

Leaving the exhibit, three things impressed upon me. First, even in times of persecution and extreme poverty, art is important. It is not a superfluous endeavor but an expression of hope and meaning. Second, art and theology interact. They do not exist separate from one another, but in conjunction connect the mind, body, and soul. Third, the Christians took everyday, even pagan forms to express their art and theology. As we relate with God's creation, one another, and art, common, everyday forms, such as bread and wine, fish and shepherds, subways and beaches, will be infused with grace and meaning through art.

Learn more about this author, Heather Goodman.
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