Circles

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in."  (Isaiah 40:21-22)

The Circle has always been an important symbol, representing the sun or the moon. And as it has no beginning or end, it can represent God's love; the Alpha and Omega; eternity, that which has neither beginning nor end.
Thus the circle has become a vital part of our religious heritage, from the glorious rose windows in cathedrals to the simple Advent Wreath.

The wheel cross evolved from the chi-rho symbol. The Greek letter chi, the first letter in the title Christ - similar in appearance to the letter "X" - was rotated until it formed the shape of a cross. The Greek letter rho, the second letter in the title Christ- similar to the letter "P" - was merged with the rotated chi, and the whole symbol enclosed in a circle. Eventually the rho disappeared, leaving a cross in a circle. The combination of standing-stones with wheel crosses gave us the familiar form of the Celtic Christian cross.

The Celtic Cross is the circle that speaks of God's love which has no beginning or end.

Widening the circle:

'A human being is part of the whole, called by us "Universe," a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole [of] nature in its beauty.' - Albert Einstein, 1950

A Celtic encircling prayer by Mary Fleeson:

Circle Me Lord,

Let love be my reason,

Let hate be a stranger.

Circle me Lord,

Let joy be my comfort,

Let sadness be no more.

Circle me Lord,

Let peace be my aim,

Let conflict be resolved.

Circle me Lord,

Let love be my reason,

Let hate be a stranger

Circle me Lord,

Let joy be my comfort,

Let sadness be no more.

Circle me Lord,

Let peace be my aim,

Let conflict be resolved.