Dispersion Game Symbolism

Dispersion features more than 150 Christian symbols, catacomb art and New Testament people. Following is a list of these along with explanations and descriptions. These explanations and interpretations are not meant to be comprehensive. Entire books have been written on some of these items. It’s hoped that by introducing these, you will seek to learn more about them, become more observant of these elements in our churches, art and culture, and deepen your faith in Jesus Christ.  

 

Game Title and Subtitle 

The Dispersion of the Apostles (Latin: Divisio Apostolorum) is a feast commemorating the missionary efforts of the 12 Apostles. It is celebrated as a double major feast on July 15. The earliest trace of this feast is found in a sequence written in the 11th century by Godescalc, a Frankish monk. The feast is next mentioned by William Durandus, Bishop of Mende, in the late 13th century. Known under various titles such as Dimissio, Dispersio, or Divisio Apostolorum, the feast was widely observed in northern Europe.  

 

The purpose of the feast is to remember the dispersion of the Apostles from Jerusalem, which occurred about fourteen years after Christ’s Ascension, when they traveled to different parts of the world to spread the Gospel.

 

The Dispersion game’s subtitle comes from the following passage that is called: The Great Commission of the Apostles. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20

 

Dispersion Game Logo

The “p” in the title is the Chi Rho monogram, which is formed by superimposing the first two (capital) letters chi and rho (ΧΡ) of the Greek word "ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ" = Christ. The Chi Rho became an early symbol to represent Christianity and is found in some of the most ancient catacombs. Also, the Chi Rho was imprinted on the military standard of the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine I.

 

Ichthys

Colloquially know as the "Jesus fish”, the game relies on this shape for the game pathways as well as the Region tokens, scoring tokens and score tracker. The Greek ikhthū́s is a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the ends of the right side extending beyond the meeting point so as to resemble the profile of a fish. It has been speculated that the symbol was adopted by early Christians as a secret symbol to determine if another was indeed Christian.

 

THE WAY

THE WAY is the name given to the outer Ichthys path on the game board. During Jesus’ ministry, His followers referred to themselves as followers of THE WAY. Possibly, it started when Jesus said that He is “the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 

 

“THE WAY” is mentioned several times in the New Testament: Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22.

 

Seven Regions and Their Icons

The game board features seven regions from the Strabo map. The number seven in the Bible is often used to represent perfection, the sign of God, divine worship, completions, obedience, and rest. Seven and its derivatives (e.g., seventh, sevens) is the most frequent number appearing in the Bible. 

 

Each region has its own icon that are ancient symbols used by Christianity. They are: 

 

ANCHOR: The anchor symbolized hope, stability, and salvation for early Christians, used as a secret symbol during times of persecution. Its cross-like shape echoed the crucifix while appearing innocuous to Roman authorities. Found extensively in catacomb art and early Christian rings, it represented Christ as humanity's secure anchor in life's storms, drawing from Hebrews 6:19: "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure."

 

BOAT: The boat symbolized the Church carrying the faithful through life's turbulent waters, with Christ as its captain. Early Christians used this imagery drawing from Gospel stories of Jesus calming storms and teaching from boats. The Church's main architectural space, the "nave," derives from "navis" (Latin for ship), representing the vessel bearing souls to salvation.

 

GRAPE VINE: The grape vine represents Christ's words "I am the true vine.” John 15:1. The vine symbolizes the intimate connection between Jesus and his followers. The vine and branches imagery represents spiritual fruitfulness and unity of believers with Christ. In early Christian art, grape motifs also referenced the Eucharistic wine and Christ's blood shed for humanity.

 

PEACOCK: The peacock became a Christian symbol of immortality and resurrection, as ancient belief held that peacock flesh didn't decay. Its magnificent tail, shedding and regrowing annually, represented renewal and eternal life. Early Christians also saw the peacock's "all-seeing" tail feathers as symbols of God's omniscience and the watchful church.

 

PALM TREE: The palm tree symbolizes victory, triumph, and eternal life in Christian imagery. It recalls Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem when crowds waved palm branches. The palm frond became a symbol of martyrs' victory over death, while palm branches in art represented Paradise and the Tree of Life in heaven.

 

LAMB: The lamb, or Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), symbolizes Jesus Christ's sacrificial death, echoing ancient Jewish sacrificial practices. In Christian art, the lamb often appears with a victory banner or cross, representing Christ's triumph over death. John the Baptist's declaration "Behold the Lamb of God" cemented this powerful symbol of divine sacrifice and redemption. John 1:29)

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​FLAME: The flame symbolizes the Holy Spirit's presence, particularly from Pentecost when tongues of fire appeared above the disciples (Acts 2:3). In Christian art, flames represent divine inspiration, spiritual fervor, and God's purifying power. The eternal flame in churches symbolizes Christ's enduring presence and the perpetual light of faith illuminating darkness.

 

Alpha and Omega

These are the starting and ending positions in the game. Alpha (Α) and Omega (Ω), the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, are powerful symbols in Christianity derived from the Book of Revelation where God declares, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.” Revelation 1:8, 21:6, and 22:13

 

This symbolism represents God's all-encompassing nature:

- His eternal existence (from before creation to beyond its end)

- His role as creator and completer of all things

- His absolute sovereignty over time and creation

- The completeness and totality of divine power

 

These symbols reinforce the Christian belief that God encompasses all of existence, from beginning to end. Early Christians used these letters as a statement of faith in Christ's divinity.

 

Blessing Cards 

Each of these card designs can be traced to ancient imagery representing the Christian meaning of the number. 

 

ONE: A circle enclosed by another circle represents God as the source of all life. Another interpretation is this single point signifies the beginning of creation, the first spark of divine energy that gave rise to the universe. And, the outer circle refers to ‘oneness’ and ‘completeness’ as its edge has no beginning or end.

 

TWO: Overlapping circles signify the duality of Jesus Christ as both fully human and fully divine. These two circles also form the basis of the ‘Jesus fish’ and reveal the womb where life begins.

 

THREE: For Christians, the triquetra shape represents the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

 

FOUR: The quaternary symbol for Christians has many interpretations such as: the ‘Four Last Things” that a soul experiences: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell; the four gospels spreading to the four ends of the Earth; or the four quite distinct entities, body and mind, spirit and soul, that are contained in Christ’s commandment in the Gospels of Luke and Mark. “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength; this is the first commandment.”

 

The Blessing card back shows the Holy Spirit represented as a dove.The dove became the primary symbol of the Holy Spirit based on the Gospel accounts of Jesus' baptism, where the Spirit descended "like a dove" upon Him. Matthew 3:16 

 

A dove also appeared in Genesis bringing an olive branch to Noah, signaling God's peace and renewal. The dove's pure white color represents divine purity. Its gentle nature reflects the Spirit's peaceful presence. Its ability to soar heavenward symbolizes spiritual ascent. And, its swooping descent mirrors the Spirit's movement from heaven to earth.

 

Apostle Cards

These name the 12 apostles. Note how these oil paintings show the apostles in order of when they started to follow Jesus Christ; their faces slowly turn from left to right profiles; and the Sea of Galilee flows behind them.  

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The card back is taken from a tomb slab from Catacomb of Domitilla in Rome, 3rd century A.D. It depicts the cross represented by an anchor that is catching Christians signified as fish, which harks back to the Ichthus shape. This catacombs engraving fulfills the famous phrase found in Matthew 4:19 and Mark 1:17 when Jesus tells Peter and Andrew to follow him and become “fishers of men.”

 

Disciple Cards

These 66 cards feature a disciple named in the New Testament. In some cases, such as Peter’s wife, she was mentioned, but her name was not. The only disciple included in the game who is not mentioned in the Bible is Veronica. She is known to us by Catholic tradition as the woman who offered a cloth, possibly her veil, to Jesus to wipe His face on the way to His crucifixion. Veronica also is named in the Sixth Station of the Cross, "Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus.”

 

The card back is the Chi Rho symbol surrounded by an oval circle, properly called a mandorla (Italian for "almond" due to its shape) or vesica piscis ("fish bladder" in Latin). This circle is frequently found in ancient and modern Christian art and is associated with divinity and the intersection of heavenly and earthly realms.

 

Mission Cards 

These cards identify five of the missions that Jesus Christ laid out for his disciples. The missions used in the game are: Preach, Baptize, Raise the Dead, Heal the Sick and Cast Out Demons. 

 

The Bible passages for these, and other missions, are: 

 

"As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give." Matthew 10:7-8

 

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20

 

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be made well.” Mark 16:15-18

 

"The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” Luke 24:46-47

 

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

 

The Mission card back shows hands raised to heaven signifying prayer, worship, and surrender to God. This gesture represents a humble offering of oneself to the Divine, acknowledging God's sovereignty and the believer's dependence on His grace. It also symbolizes a longing for divine guidance and connection.

 

Hardship Cards

These cards identify five of the hardships that Jesus Christ warned his disciples that they will incur in their ministry. Included in the game are: Hungry, Stoned, Jailed, Betrayed and Whipped.

 

The Bible passages for these, and other hardships, are: 

 

“Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger.” 2 Corinthians 6:4-5

 

“But beware of men; for they will hand you over to their councils and flog you in their synagogues.” Matthew 10:17

 

“…and when they had called in the apostles, they had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.” Acts 5:40

 

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” Romans 8:35

 

“To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless.” 1 Corinthians 4:11

 

“I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” 2 Corinthians 11:27

 

“You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death.” Luke 21:16

 

“Then they will deliver you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name.” Matthew 24:9

 

“Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.” Acts 14:19-20

 

“While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Acts 7:59

 

The back of the Hardship card shows a crown of thorns that symbolizes Christ's suffering and sacrifice during His crucifixion. Worn by Jesus to mock His kingship, it represents the pain He endured for humanity’s salvation. The thorns signify both physical torment and the burden of sin, highlighting His role as the suffering Messiah and Savior.

 

Bible Verses

These are the six special action stops located on THE WAY path. 

 

THE LIFE and THE TRUTH verses: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 (note that this quote also appears on the game board) 

 

ASK and SEEK verses: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8

 

BE OPENED verse: "He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, 'Ephphatha!' (which means 'Be opened’)." Mark 7:34

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FOLLOW ME verse: In the Gospels, Jesus says "Follow me" on several key occasions as He calls individuals to become His disciples. For instance, when Jesus called Levi (another name for Matthew): "After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. 'Follow me,' Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.” Luke 5:27-28. Later Jesus says to those who would follow Him: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24

 

Church Markers

These identify the major themes in the four Gospels:

 

GOD’S KINGDOM and REPENTANCE: The Gospels emphasize Jesus’s message of the Kingdom of God, inviting people to repentance, faith, and a renewed relationship with God.

 

SALVATION and FORGIVENESS: Jesus’s mission was to bring salvation and forgiveness to humanity through His sacrificial death and resurrection.

 

LOVE and COMPASSION: Jesus’s teachings and actions reflect His boundless love and compassion for all people, regardless of their social status, background, or mistakes.

 

DISCIPLESHIP and SERVICE: Jesus calls His followers to be His disciples, to imitate His example, and to serve others selflessly.

 

FAITH and TRUST IN GOD: Throughout the Gospels, Jesus emphasizes the importance of faith and trust in God, encouraging His disciples to rely on God’s provision and guidance.

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Nazareth Star

The game board uses the four-pointed Nazareth star to indicate the location of the cities in each region. This star shape carries multiple layers of symbolism:

• It represents the Holy Family: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the Holy Spirit

• It connects to the four virtues of the Virgin Mary (Faith, Hope, Charity, Obedience/Humility)

• It symbolizes the four Gospels and the universal mission of spreading the Gospel to the four corners of the earth

• It underscores the union of heaven and earth in the person of Jesus

• It serves as a reminder of the light of Christ that guides the faithful

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