Lenten Reflections: Our Love-Hate Relationship with the Cross Part Two

Last updated on: April 20, 2011 at 12:03 pm by Amy Julia Becker

Lenten Reflections: Our Love-Hate Relationship with the Cross Part Two 2011-04-20T12:03:12-04:00 Amy Julia Becker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Again,

It’s a symbol of love, of forgiveness, of salvation.

It’s a vision of violence, of blood, of death.

It’s a trinket dangling from a rear-view mirror, an ornament to dress up an outfit.

It’s a centerpiece in a house of worship.

It’s a gift. It’s an offense.

It’s a reminder, in the words of Tim Keller, that we are “more wretched than we ever imagined, and more loved than we ever dared hope.”

I wrote last week about why we hate the cross. Essentially, we don’t like the idea that we’re sinners who need saving. We don’t like being “wretched,” or lost, or needy. I’ve been a Christian for decades and I still squirm at the idea that my sin (and Sin in general) is so bad it required Jesus’ death. And yet if we are indeed wretched, lost, and needy, and God has reached out to us, found us, forgiven us, saved us, then the cross is also wonderfully good news. The cross is a symbol of our depravity, and yet it is also a symbol of our unbelievable value in the eyes of a loving God. The cross serves as a symbol of a spiritual reality–that through Christ God is making the world right and undoing the impact of sin in both our individual lives and on a cosmic level. For us as individuals, this undoing begins as we recognize our need for forgiveness and then receive it. And yet receiving forgiveness isn’t the end. It’s only the beginning.

Imagine our relationship with God as a bridge over a river. When that relationship was broken, we couldn’t cross the river without drowning. In Christ, the relationship was repaired–God rebuilt the bridge, so to speak. And yet just because the bridge is there doesn’t mean we experience that restored relationship. The cross effects forgiveness of sins. And that’s great news. But the even better news is that now, because sin doesn’t get in the way of knowing God–now we can live with God. Now we can know God and be known by God. Now we can have freedom and confidence and hope. Now we can participate in God’s work of healing and restoring work in our own lives and in the world around us.

I’ve spent this Lent trying to reflect upon the cross. I don’t understand it any better than I did six weeks ago. But I do understand that it is through the cross that I can know and be known by God. It is through the cross that we can be healed, redeemed, forgiven. And for that, I am grateful.

Faith

Previous Post

April 19, 2011

Is the Resurrection for Real?

Next Post

April 20, 2011 Perfectly Human: This Is Community by Karen Jackson

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Articles Books Disability Down Syndrome Faith family Perfectly Human Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 September 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz