On
a trip to Egypt and the Holy Lands Jerusalem
Now
for those of you who don’t know what this looks like, connected to the one
cross are four smaller crosses, one in each quadrant. It is a reminder of not
only the death and resurrection of Christ but also the martyred witness of
those who followed. At another level it reminds me of the many crossroads of
our travels. We know where we are; we know our destination; but there are many
different routes that we might take to get there.
In
the safety and comfort of our cars we are constantly being reminded of God’s
redeeming activity in our lives. Every time we come to an intersection, we have
the opportunity to take a moment for gratitude.
Like
a great growing Jerusalem cross, our journeys mark the places we have been and
where we are going. The cross is not the terminus of our journey; it is the
pause of orientation. It is the reminder of our ministry callings to care for
one another and our map for going to Galilee .
It is not a place to avoid but a necessary part of the journey. We need to
witness the pain and suffering, remembering that there cannot be a resurrection
without a death. At the same time, witnessing the event of the cross does not
mean that we are the ones dying, Christ has done that once for all, but that
our lives need to be about dying to ourselves and being in relationship with
God and one another.
As
we look upon the cross today, let us think about where Christ
has been for us and where Christ is calling us to
go.
Prayer
Lord,
you died so that we might pass through death to eternal life, but your
suffering showed us your full knowledge of the human condition. At the
intersections of our lives, may we know your way and follow. Amen
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