The Light of the Crucifix

Growing up my first experiences of Christianity came through occasionally attending a non-denominational protestant church. The only symbol in the church that I can remember was a wooden Latin cross without corpus (without the body of Jesus) that was kept in the front right corner of the main hall. Now at this point in my life, the concept of with our without corpus was foreign. To me, it was just a standard symbol and while I knew the biblical narrative of the crucifixion it was not an integral part of each service.

During my journey to come to terms with faith and what I truly believed, my experience with other Christian symbols and icons grew. It was during this process that I made the decision to become Catholic. It was through the Catholic Church that I was first properly introduced to the crucifix. While I have no issue with a cross without the corpus, I believe wholeheartedly that the crucifix is the greatest symbol in Christianity (to clarify I am not comparing the crucifix to the host because to Catholics this is not a symbol but the actual body and blood of Jesus). Not only is it the greatest symbol in the Church but it can also be powerful in the lives of all people when properly understood.

For when we truly see the crucifix we see the crucifixion. We see one who is truly man and truly god choosing to be crucified to save us from our sins. Too often we have a mental picture of Romans forcing Jesus upon the cross but no one can force action from God. Spiritually the ancient poet was right when describing the crucifixion from the perspective of the cross with the following words, "I saw then the Lord of Mankind hasten with much courage, willing to mount up upon me…. The young warrior stripped himself then – that was God Almighty – strong and firm of purpose – he climbed up onto the high gallows, magnificent in the sight of many. Then he wished to redeem mankind. I quaked when the warrior embraced me" (Dream of the Rood).

While I want to focus on this choice freely made I must unequivocally state that this in no way diminishes the sinner's culpability in the crucifixion. As the Catechism teaches "Nor did demons crucify him; it is you who have crucified him and crucify him still, when you delight in your vices and sins" (Catechism #598). We are sinners and through no action of our own could we ever be deserving of such a sacrifice yet God still chose to make it. Nor is God playing favorites for specific groups of people. "There is not, never has been, and never will be a single human being for whom Christ did not suffer" (Catechism #605).

While entire books can and should be written about this event and all the truths it illuminates, there are at least two specific conclusions I think every Christian can agree on and that even non-Christians can find solace in. First, I believe God so loved each of us that even if we were the only sinner to have ever been born he would still have climbed unto that cross for us and us alone.  He climbed onto that cross for me and he climbed on that cross for you. No matter what category the world puts you in or category you put yourself in, God loves you and is willing to pay any price for you. Not matter what burdens have been placed upon you by the world and the people in it (poverty, incurable diseases, discrimination, etc.), the fact that God loves you does not change.

Second, that as a Christian I must do as my lord command when he said, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 16:24-25). If God was willing to die for all men, I must be willing to do the same. The challenge is not simply physical but also mental. I must be willing to give up values I used to hold when I see they are not compatible with loving my fellow man. For me that has been changing my stance on the death penalty, supporting gun control, and learning to love those that are different. Your challenges may be completely different than mine but know that you to have a cross that is waiting for you. We are called to love and must love if we are to not hold the sacrifice of Jesus in contempt.

All of this and so much more is embodied to me even in the simplest of crucifixes. Made of wood, metal, or glass it reminds me that God loves me even though I don't deserve it. He loves you and I should love you to no matter the price of that love. It is like a light in the darkness to remind us of these truths.