"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." Isaiah 9:2

Don't tell me, show me," we say. Actions speak louder than words. I know people who, less than a month from now, who will spend good money on a dozen red roses, when a quick three-word note could be cheaper. God knows this. In the Bible, God not only says, "I love you," through the words of the law, the prophets, the sermons of Jesus, the letters of Paul. God's love is also demonstrated through signs. "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12).

A flag, a handshake, a kiss, a cross, a wedding ring, a loaf of bread, a chalice of wine -- all are signs which say more than words can express. A symbol opens up a level of reality for which non­ symb…