Cross of Christ - 2

While I ponder about the Cross of Christ, 'the sacrificing pole' that we are commanded to carry daily and follow Jesus, I am reminded of a great truth learned from a gentle, Brahmin, Hindu family in Nairobi, Kenya, who owned a confectionery (an Indian sweet shop);  we would talk about religion when we visited their shop.

This was in the 1980s when Dad used to tutor their ready-to-go-to-college son in Physics and Mathematics. Dad and I used to witness to this family about Christ. One day they shared with Dad, saying "Do you know why we really adore the Cross of Christ so much? The reason being - the Cross of Christ shows you to deny the 'I' and self." They so simply showed the crossing out of the vertical line from top to bottom by the horizontal line from left to right! That means he said, No to the big 'I', the selfish I... without making it an idol, have you tried to draw a cross and see how much of I and selfishness we are called to cancel out?

I know some theologians will disagree with me that Christ did not die on the cross but on the pole, on a tree, yes that is true, but the Cross is widely known today as the symbol of Christianity. Without making it an idol or a statue, or like fascinating stuff that most movie stars and singers wear on their necks and ears, can we use the available resources, anything and everything to talk of his torturous death. 

Lord, help me to love you with ALL my heart, all my soul, all my strength, and all my mind...to crucify me, my self, and 'I' daily, on the sacrificing pole that I am to carry and to let the beauty of Jesus shine through me...

Kalpana Christian Sharma

Copyright © KC's Writings, 2010