July 29thThe Symbology of the Cross
“Why do Christians care so much about the cross?” It’s an interesting thought, isn’t it, or at least I think it should be. I can’t recall specifics, but I remember encountering a comedic take on the internet some years ago about how weird it was that Christians would put the cross on everything. With the concluding thought being something about how Jesus wouldn’t like that, that was the thing he died on?!?! It’s a funny thought, isn’t it? If we take it in a vacuum, or just our initial reaction, we might agree; it is a bit “odd” or “eccentric” that this is our most displayed holy symbol.
As I ponder this question honestly, I do find myself ever more drawn to the cross as a beautifully eccentric symbol of our faith, though with one caveat. I do wonder if sometimes our use of the cross is more about our insecurity than it is about celebrating its rich symbology. Many churches and Christian organizations seem to squeeze crosses into anywhere they can. This is hardly an issue; I may only notice this for reasons of aesthetic rather than theological or otherwise disagreement. I have two open end thoughts around this; firstly, I wonder if it comes from a lack of knowledge of other Christian symbology? As a reformation-adjacent faith tradition, perhaps we as Anabaptist have also picked up on the protestant aversion towards iconography. Or maybe we just don’t actually know our scriptures well enough to draw out symbols beyond “the big ones.” (that’s a risqué suggestion, but perhaps it needs to be considered). As Anabaptist we do have our own big symbol, the peace dove which is inspired form the Flood legend.
My second thought is, I wonder if our over-use of the cross stems from an insecurity in our witness? Do we shove the cross onto anything and everything because we NEED anybody to see that we are Christians? It is a hard balance I will admit; you want to present as who you are, and the cross truly important part of that, and yet too much use of a symbol can both weaken its implicit significance, and could come off, as I suggested, a tad insecure.
So why keep the cross? Well, I don’t think, or at least I hope that I wouldn’t need to convince you that the cross is going to stick around. But I can share what I find most resonant and inspiring about the Cross as our defining symbol of Faith in the living Jesus. The cross is indeed a symbol of Christ’s suffering. No matter what angle you come at it; whether that suffering is for the purpose of salvation, or if it’s a radical act of Creator God’s human solidarity, our God is known for having been hurt for us and with us. It does well to encapsulate why I came to faith in my youth years, and why I choose faith every day despite much; it tells me that on my worst days, where I don’t think I am worth effort, or deserving of care or love, that the God of the cosmos came down and fully lived like I have. That cross is symbol that Jesus hurt like I hurt, and still said I was worth it.
Lastly, I’ll add this, I also love that the cross is a roman cross. It is odd that our symbol is one that a great empire used to convey fear and obedience. But our God was not quelled by it, our Creator was not halted or dispelled. We boldly proclaim the cross because what once was a symbol for power and control has been disarmed, now it will serve the message of mercy, of new-life, of God’s ever-expansive love. And that, I think, is a symbol worth holding onto.
