Draft and Rough!
There is a story about a businessman visiting Charlotte who would sometimes hire a taxi to drive him down to the intersection of Queens and Providence road. There he would ask the driver to stop in the Myers Park Hardware lot and he would look out the window at the Myers Park United Methodist Church. What he was looking at was the gorgeous stained glass window facing that intersection. I do not know is this is a true story or not, but many times at night as I drive by the church I think of that person, real or not, and I hope he found a source of beauty and strength there as many our church members have over the years.
The windows are known, collectively, as the Window of the seven Christian Virtues and was given "in memory of Mrs. Alfreta Chrisman Snyder by the members of this church." Of course the question is, who was Mrs. Snyder. No Snyder name appears as one of the founding members and we hope to figure this out someday.In 1989 the window along with the others was restored. A plaque downstairs in the Sanctuary just inside the doors from the Narthex on the Queens Road Side says it was restored “in honor of Christian Harris by Jay Hendrix.”
The window has a wealth of detail and history in its seven large window panes and its 25 smaller panes. The smaller panes start with the symbols of the "A" and "O" for the Alpha and Omega at the very top on either side. Jesus said I am the Alpha and the Omega ( location). On our left is a United States Soldier and on the right is a United States Sailor. In the middle is the United States flag. The soldier and sailor are from World War I or before as the windows were created by 1925 or so. The flag would have had 45 stars at that time for the 48 states. X was added as a state in xxx and Hawaii in xxxx and Alaska in 19xx.
Next are- left to right: Symbols of Seven Virtues
The windows include scales of justice; donkey for humility; angel saying “God is my strength” for courage; angel saying, “Who is like unto God?’ for Divinity: angel saying, The sword of the Spirit” for faith; anchor for hope and purse for charity (love).
CENTRAL FIGURES: (From left to right)
These include Justice: Martin Luther, leader of Reformation
Humility: St. Francis of Assisi, founder of Franciscan monks
Courage: Stephen, the first Christian martyr
Divinity: Christ the King (Crown on his head,)
Faith: Paul the Apostle
Hope: John Wycliff, translator of Bible into English
Charity (Love): John Wesley, founder of Methodism
FIGURES NEAR BOTTOM: (from left to right)
Justice: Solomon ordering the soldier to cut baby in half, when two women claimed to be its mother
Humility: Feed the poor, clothe the naked
Courage: David with sling shot, killed Goliath
Divinity: Angel says “God is Light”
Faith: Ark on the flood waters
Hope: Daniel in the lion’s den
Charity (Love): Helping people in debtors prison
Note: Above the head of Jesus, “Come Unto to Me” and below His feet: I am the King of the World”.