Embrace the cross

As a pastor, I have been invited into many homes over the years. In addition to having the opportunity to visit without interruption, the decor of a home often speaks volumes about what favilies value, their family history, and their priorities. One of the most recognizable symbols that instantly identifies a home as Christian is the cross. Among all the objects that exist, the cross is arguably the most unique. Why is that? Unlike anything else in the world, the cross has become more than just a tool or an instrument of torture. It has also become a symbol for Christians and a representation of their way of life.

 

This Lenten season is a time to reflect on what Jesus has done for us by willingly dying on the cross. The cross was mainly used for slaves, foreigners, political agitators, and rebels. The death was cruel, and deep shame and humiliation accompanied this sentence. The Romans used this tool to punish, but perhaps even more to erase a person's memory and reputation.

 

The cross is a powerful symbol for Christianity because that instrument intended for shame overcame sin, thus representing the ultimate act of love, victory, and redemption won for us by Christ. Many Christian denominations will sing the Exultet, which proclaims, "O happy fault that merited for us, so glorious a redeemer. If the first tree in the Garden of Eden became our downfall, the second tree, of the cross, brought restoration and salvation to mankind.

Christians do not see the cross as a morbid but as paradoxically happy but through Christ's obedience, satisfaction having been attained and the resurrection being achieved.

 

The cross was once a tool of torture, but it remains a symbol of Christianity. Its most important significance for Christians is its meaning as a way of life we are called to follow.

This command comes directly from Luke 9:23: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." The Christian does not seek out crosses, but he does embrace them for the sake of Christ and others when they appear: enduring trials with faith, helping those in need, and patiently bearing the consequences of fallen humanity are all simple ways the Christian follows the way of the cross.

 

As Christians, we encounter the cross in three ways. Nature challenges us with difficulties like illness and natural disasters. We can also bear crosses in our own lives through our sinful and reckless actions. The third way is by receiving personal crosses caused by the actions of others.

 

This might include something they have done, struggles in relationships, and similar issues.

Of these three, most people have the least patience for carrying the third.

 

As we journey through this season of Lent, let us place the cross at the center of our prayers and lives. I often say that in 25 years of priesthood, I've never seen a hearse pull a loaded U-Haul to the cemetery. God shows His power through weakness, delights in those who choose obedience over comfort, and embraces self-sacrifice and service to others before themselves. May the death of our old self, which we embraced at baptism, be renewed during this season of Lent. And through the cross, we hope it becomes a wellspring unto eternal life.