Photo and Commentary ©2023 by Robert Howson
Tuesday, June , 2023
It almost seems like an ancient ritual played out in the field of ages past when technology didn’t control our lives. Perhaps it was a Boy Scout troop sending messages, or the military signaling assignments or other data through the use of flags held in various positions based upon an alphabetic code. Of course, in order to work, both the sender and the receiver had to know that code. Today, semaphore has largely gone the way of the typewriter and butter churn. But a less formal practice is still in use when we see an individual helping another to back his trailer into a tight spot by giving hand signals to indicate how far and where he should go. In more contemporary usage, semaphore is a variable or abstract data type used for controlling access to a common resource.
And it’s all done through symbols, sent and received by parties who understand the significance of those symbols. For us humans, the pinnae, or long feathers on the side of the neck of the Greater Prairie-Chicken, appear stylish and attractive but convey little more. However, to others of the same clan, the message undoubtedly is much clearer.
For us, flags or banners serve in much the same way. They are symbols which may call us into battle or may serve to unite us under a common cause. And Christians are no different. Psalm 60:4 speaks of that symbol which God has entrusted us to carry: “But you have given us a banner to rally to; all who love truth will rally to it; then you can deliver your beloved people. Use your strong right arm to rescue us.” (Living Bible)