Chi Rho

Ever since I was a kid, I've loved music built on Celtic roots, whether it's traditional, folk, punk, or bluegrass. From medieval ballads to the Dropkick Murphys. I once sang with a small group that specialized in medieval folk music, and I studied the Child ballads in college.

As a friend of mine says, "It's all good."

One of the groups I've enjoyed for a long time is the Celtic rock group, Iona. Their songs tend to be long, faith-based, and filled with soaring melodies. One that I want to leave you with this weekend is "Chi-Rho." With a chorus based on Colossians, the song reminds me it's all about Him. Everything. All of it.

You may have seen the Chi Rho symbol without realizing what it is or that it has a name. Based on the first two Greek letters of the word for Christ, it was first used in a significant way by Constantine I. It can be exceedingly simple (as is the image on the right) or extremely elaborate (as is the illuminated image from the Lindisfarne Gospels.)