“And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water and lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him.”
Matthew 3:16
The arched transom window above the church entry was designed by Michele’s father, John Delagrange (b.1932-d.2021), completed and installed in 2009. This was the first of the new stained-glass windows for Liberty United Methodist Church. Although the simplest in color palette compared to other windows in the series the symbolism is profound.
Even from the first book of the Bible, the Old Testament, the dove is often the way in which God shows His guiding hand and His lasting peace. “Then he [Noah] sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground…” Genesis 8:8
Entering the Sanctuary under the dove, a symbol for the Holy Spirit inspired by Jesus’s baptism, invites all to share in the wisdom and salvation of accepting the Risen Christ as our Savior. “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him – the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.” Isaiah 11:2.