the cross.

Take the word ‘focus’. Say it 20 times. Now say it 20 more times. Listen to yourself saying it. Most of us at this point will have become weirded out by the word. It becomes simple a small collection of syllables and vowels, a meaningless sound because of its relentless bombardment. We can’t even use the word. For a little while we are confused by it. All meaning has been sucked out.

In our church café we have a whole wall dedicated to the display of crosses. Some are bare and simple, some are floral, others are almost comedic in nature. It seems appropriate that the symbol we Christians are defined by takes such a prominent place in our worlds. We want to give it attention because it is so central to the story we endorse. But the frequency in which we use it in church life can sometimes have a detrimental effect. We can become desensitised to it. In the same way that we have become used to graphic violence in media without even giving it a second thought, the cross is basically lost to us. It simply represents a cold transaction of sin or something. A religious icon divorced from reality.

One of the most telling experiences I ever had was as a student teacher in a local primary school. One Thursday morning an enthusiastic young woman from a nearby church came to give the class I was in a Bible in Schools lesson. The class was made up of 6 year olds and most of them knew very little of the Bible or Christianity.  This young woman proceeded to tell this group of young children the crucifixion story. Of Jesus being nailed to a cross by his hands and feet. The listeners were wide eyed and one scared child had to leave the room in tears. What this young woman had failed to realise was that the crucifixion story is not a child friendly account of history. It isn’t even really PG. It is brutal and horrific.

To put it bluntly, we have domesticated the cross. We have turned it into a get out of jail free card in our evangelistic methods or a piece of poetry unique to our belief system. We have turned it into a “Jesus thinks you are to die for” bumper sticker without actually giving too much thought to what the experience would have actually entailed. Sometimes non-Christians recognise the barbarity of it more than Christians do, due the fact we’re so used to talking about it.

But the cross. It possesses profane horror and godlessness.

Jesus died as a rejected blasphemer.

Crucifixion was the most degrading form of punishment.

It is totally inappropriate for God to go through something like this. It is bad taste.

It is a total scandal.

It is in conflict with anything humane and rational.

Jesus endured nakedness, powerlessness and senselessness and alienation to all.

God experienced God forsakenness.

On this cross we behold a crucified and defeated God.

For God so loved the world.

Domesticate that.