Thoughts for the Day

No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

In the past I have worked with lots of small children, and occasionally carried out with them a search of their church for crosses. They would discover loads of crosses, especially in older churches, on floor tiles, corners of ceilings, in tiny paintings or stained glass windows, or even on books. The next week they would come back saying they had noticed crosses in their village or town, and that some people wore them around their necks. Often Mums or Dads brought examples from home and stories of grandparents who had crosses. The subject opened up much discussion with all ages.

I would tell the children that we were called "Christians - the people of Jesus" - and that Christians often showed this by having a cross at home or by wearing a cross. I didn't necessarily say anything about the death of Jesus on a cross especially if the children were very small, or use the word "symbol" since experts say children don't understand what a symbol is until they are older.

Today is Holy Cross Day and it seems to me that different parts of the worldwide Church are in danger of losing this symbol, and allowing it to be hi-jacked by right-wing extremists. There are other Christian symbols, like the fish, and the shell, but since the 3rd or 4th century the cross has been the main Christian symbol. The writer of John's Gospel reminds us that Jesus was "lifted up" on a cross. Notice he uses the words "Son of man" that term originally coming from the Book of Daniel to indicate the Messiah who would come from Heaven to save His people. We should never forget that the cross symbolises for us that Jesus offered his life as payment for our sins and to guarantee our eternal life as God's children, and that in some parts of the world men and women are killed for wearing a cross.

Almighty God,
who in the passion of Your blessed Son
made an instrument of painful death
to be for us the means of life and peace:
grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ
that we may gladly suffer for His sake;
who is alive and reigns with You,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.