Ever since my conversion I've known and taught that the cross isn't just something I wear around my neck, and it's not just a random method of execution which Jesus happened to endure under Roman rule. It's not just a piece of wood or metal or plastic. It's not just a symbol of the faith. It's a way of life.
Did you know that often, crosses weren't just brand-new pieces of wood put together for criminals personally? I was shocked when I found out that, more often than not, crosses were just olive trees they found along the road and attached firewood to. Olive trees! Olives are the symbol of peace in almost every religion around the globe, and the Romans used them as a method of execution: one of the most brutal, agtonizing methods of execution ever invented by humankind.
The symbolism of this all seems enormous to me: the idea of the cross, as you're all familiar, is that "No servant is greater than his master," as Jesus said. "If I am persecuted, so shall you be." "Take up your cross and follow me." Suffering and sacrifice are intrinsic parts of the faith; Jesus uses the historical context to his advantage by showing people what they were put on earth to do. We are all called to imitate Christ: we live for God, in perfect love, then we die, and we ressurect in the light of the Messiah. The cross is a lifestyle: every part of it is directly coherent with a part of God's path. We are crucified on the place of peace in order to preserve peace and love.
There were plenty of of martyrs, after Christ's time on earth, who went gladly to their lions or their crosses or to be burned. They went gladly because they felt they were doing God's will, and that God loved them more than anything and so they must rejoice. These people, even whilst being tormented, had smiles on their faces. We too are called to this: we must overcome Gethsemane, we must overcome Pilate and Kiafas; we must ressurect.
In the end, the question, WHAT DOES THE CROSS MEAN echoes in my mind. What does it mean? How do we come to know what it means to be crucified in a world where we no longer stone adultrous women to death? What does it mean to live a life of love and compassion, in a postmodern world? Some people think there aren't enough crosses to bear, because 'life is easy for us now.' Some people think there are too many and there is too much of a burden, because we live in a difficult society of war and strife. But may I suggest that we have many burdens in the face of the secular agendas (et cetera), but the Lord would not give us burdens which are too heavy or too unbalanced to conquer. There will always be someone to help you carry the cross.
In any case. I'm done ranting; take from this what you will.
What does the cross mean to you?
