Up and Out

In Nicky Gumbel's "The Alpha Course" he mentions that the original Christians would have found it very strange to see people wearing a cross to symbolize faith.  Because it was an element of torture, punishment and death, the modern equivalent would be if we saw people suddenly wearing electric chair pendants. Today we have cleaned up the red stains and we display the cross on our walls, use it for artistic expression, wear it as jewelry, put it on stickers and clothing and hang it from our rear view mirrors.  There are few symbols that stir up the emotions the way a cross can, a love/hate relationship that continues to have the ebb and flow of union and separation. It can mean peace on earth, live in the crashing rebellion of rock n roll and condemn with fiery hate.  Time has made all the difference.  

When I think about what the cross means to me, it is a wild ride of emotions.  There is the heart pounding anticipation of a life with hope, the exhilaration of love beyond measure and the stomach-dropping knowledge of what it took to give me both.  I can barely allow my thoughts to linger on what Jesus endured for the sake of my pitiful but striving state and all too often I live with the bliss of amnesia from one moment to the next.  I pray that my life, however, will continue to be an offering to what was done for my joy and that my heart is enough when my body fails me.

The cross reminds me of how I want to live: a vertical piece to symbolize the earth-to-heaven-and-back relationship with our God connection and a horizontal piece to remind me of how we're connected to each other.  My life should be one of looking UP and looking OUT.  When I tip my face toward heaven, I rest in the comfort that there is something greater than myself, a navigating guide who always comes up with adventures more compelling than I could have ever anticipated.  It's plugging into my power source and recharging with the very thing that created the earth I stand upon.  It is my  faith in worship, the adoration of my heart pointed toward God, from the depths of my Spirit and all because of Jesus.  As I go about the daily-ness of my life, I am blessed by the faces that I see as a way to pass on what I have been given.  They are an opportunity to practice being a better version of myself and regardless of my success, I press on to the next.  

"Lessons from the Cross - Worship and Fellowship"

As I wear my own cross and follow it into a room, I am fully aware of what it used to mean to me and what it means to me now.  I wear it to connect with other believers and to tell you you're safe with me.  Even with that in mind, however, I remember the days of viewing cross wearers with the narrowed eyes of suspicion. My thoughts would include, "What are you hiding?", "Why aren't you anchored in reality?", "You pray with that mouth?", "Why are you still so angry?", "What makes you think you're better than me?"  and "If you're any sort of example of what being a Christian is, it's not a club I want to belong to."  I realize my cross only means as much as my actions and demeanor reveal to a stranger. I am not always the best ambassador for my faith but incrementally, there seems to be improvement.   

Whatever your view of the cross, my prayer is that in the moments we're together it is a comforting presence, covering a soul filled with joy and love.  And if you happen to catch me on an off day, blame it on the person, not the cross. 

The cross I wear.