Tag Archives: human death

Last night, the entry in the Lenten devotional book I have been following  started with the author referring to the cross his wife wears around her neck all the time.  Many people wear this symbol of Christianity on a regular basis.  Some have even had it tattooed on their bodies.

To some it may seem that people wear crosses to let everyone know they are Christian, in the same way that they might carry a Dior bag to be sure people know that they have money and status.  At this time, with the increasingly secular society in which we live, it might be considered that wearing a symbol of Christianity might actually lower one’s standing.

While this may be true for a few people, I believe most people wear the cross for themselves.  Wearing a cross is a constant reminder of the source of our strength.  It was to this reminder of strength that the reading referred.  There is significant irony in our choice of the cross, upon which our God died a human death in weakness, as a symbol of the strength of our God.

Think about some of the things around people’s necks historically.  Chains (jewelery and bindings both), neck shackles to keep slaves from running away, yokes to carry heavy loads.  On the end of our chains we wear a cross, the symbol of weakness which led to the final breaking of our chains of bondage to sin.

So, especially in the final run-up to Easter, wear your symbols of weakness with pride.  There has never been greater strength in the world than that which showed itself in the weakness of Christ on the cross.  With this reminder ever present, may we have the strength to be weak and sacrifice a little part of ourselves to make the world better for others!