Our Windows

The WINDOWS of CHRIST CHURCH
Kealakekua, Hawaii From the beginning, stained glass windows were designed to depict the mighty acts of God and present biblical narrative in picture form. In short, they were an art form that told the story. We felt strongly that Hawaiian images could be used to reveal the significance of the Christian faith and seasons, rather than to superimpose on this unique culture the traditional symbols that originated in England and Europe. Upon entering the church, the story unfolds from the first window on the left and moves forward towards the altar, then crosses over to the south side and reverses direction back to the church entrance. The arrival of Christianity is represented in the first window on the right at the back of the nave. Seasons of the church are depicted in the other windows.
	ADVENT A time of preparation, hope, promise and expectancy. The makahiki banner is similar to the banner of John the Baptist which appears in Christian art. The word makahiki refers to “the coming” of a new season. It is thought that, to many Hawaiians, the banner signifies and announces the arrival of the makahiki, a time during which their God Lono is honored. Lono was the God of peace and agriculture. The ancient prophecy of an arrival from both Hebrew and Hawaiian cultures portrayed by the use of petroglyphs, an ancient form of writing. Here they are used to symbolize a genealogy echoing the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham as written in The Gospel According to St. Matthew 1:1-16.
	CHRISTMAS Our Nativity window needs little explanation. Nothing is more powerful, nor speaks a more universal language than the traditional figures of Mary, Joseph and Jesus.
	EPIPHANY The season focuses attention on the manifestation of Jesus as the Christ. Here water, with all its theological significance, is pouring from a gourd out of a white cloud on the solitary figure of Jesus. The cloud is a symbol of the presence of God and the gourd a vessel which signifies life. The ti leaves are representative of purification, blessing and healing, reflective of the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry read during the season of Epiphany.
	PASSION AND DEATH The passion flower radiates out over the whole earth through the cross of Christ. The cross is a constant reminder to us of the cruel way he was put to death, and yet it has been a symbol of love and adoration down through the centuries. The overarching eclipse (although there is no evidence of a true astrological eclipse) effectively portrays the Gospel According to St. Luke where it is recorded: “It was now about the sixth hour and with the sun eclipsed, a darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.” (St. Luke 23:44) While on that fateful day darkness came over all those who knew and love him, the window makes clear that the darkness will pass and that Christ will shine through as the light of the world.
	RESURRECTION The dolphin is often used as a symbol for Christ and of the resurrection. A common mammal often seen playing in Hawaiian waters, this scene displays two dolphins, one dying and one rising. The more prominent of the two is the one rising to meet the new dawn which breaks over the whole earth, proclaiming that Christ is resurrection and that life in Him is stronger than death.
	THE GOOD SHEPHERD A window symbolic of the good works of Christ. Over the altar is the figure of Christ as the Good Shepherd carrying a lamb. Bordering the central window are the Queen Emma Lilies, a reminder that the Anglican Church was the Church of the Monarchy. Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV believed and were loyal followers of Christ. It was King Kamehameha IV who translated the prayer book into Hawaiian, and Queen Emma was the first monarch to worship in Christ Church.
	PENTECOST The brilliant flames represent the seven gifts of the spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, holy fear of the Lord and true Godliness. Seven is a powerful and frequent symbol found in scripture that denotes completeness, perfection and consummation. The dove is also of multiple meaning and significance. There is a “hovering” of the spirit of God in creation, the psalmist’s use of the “dove” to designate Israel and the Spirit of God descending “like a dove” after the baptism of Jesus. The Targum, as Aramaic translation of scriptural books as well as a tradition of interpretation understood the “voice of the turtledove” as the “voice of the spirit of redemption”.
	TRINITY The three fish are representative of the Holy Trinity. These are Hawaiian reef fish. Like the mystery of the Trinity they are distinct, yet similar, and reflect the truth that God is described as Three in One; unity in diversity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The fish has long been a traditional symbol of Christ and the Christian faith. The Greek word for “fish” (Ichthus) came to be interpreted as a cipher for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior”.
	CHRISTIANITY COMES TO HAWAII First came the Hawaiians in their sailing canoes, using the stars, Hokupa’a, (the North Star) and Hokule’a (Arcturus) for navigation, much like the wise men once followed their star. Many years later, the malihini (newcomers) came to the islands in tall ships and started a new era, their sails resembling the Makahiki Banner. The first Christian service was held on the shore of Kealakekua Bay. It is mysterious irony that the words Ke-ala-ke-kua mean Pathway of the God.
The windows were done in 1990-91 under the direction of Gordon Hodgins, who died in 2000, husband of Betty; and Bertha Weeks, who chaired the committee including Rita Cowell & Alex Cameron. The windows were designed and put together by the committee and Gayle Marquess, who no longer lives in Kona but ran a stained glass emporium in Kailua-Kona. Final design and colors were approved by The Rev. Reginald Rodman and the Vestry prior to actual construction. There are 6 stained glass windows in the nave, 2 in the chancel and 3 in the sanctuary. All windows were paid for by members and/or are memorials to former members, and the only cost to the Restoration and Renovation Fund was removal of the old windows and installation of the new. The total cost was around $14,000. From the beginning, stained glass windows were designed to depict acts of God and biblical stories. Hawaiian images were used in the present stained glass windows to reveal the significance of the Christian faith and seasons, rather that superimpose the traditional symbols that originated in England and Europe.