on crosses & crucifixes

[truecoloursfly]

Question: do you still call it a "crucifix" if it doesn't include the figure of Christ? My Catholic ex says no (me too), but the dictionary says yes. What do you all say? Just wonderin'.

I have a growing, if inadvertant, collection of crosses (and a couple crucifixes

) that I wear interchangeably: one by a Mexican silversmith, one blessed in Medjugorje, one from my grandmother, an art deco one (I'm a deco fan), one of gold nuggets (yes, I've been to the Klondike), and a handful more; the one I wear most of the time is, no surprise, a Celtic one. I'm always wearing one of them.
Someone of no particular faith asked me once, assuming it wasn't merely "traditional," why I wear it. The question --from him -- compelled me to examine my answers.
I wear it to tell the world that Christ lives in me, certainly. But moreso to remind myself, constantly, that reality lies beyond the flesh, in the Resurrection. That I am not defined by my body, nor limited by it. The reality at the heart of this cross around my neck is bigger than worries, bigger than politics. It's my own remembrance of Him, I guess -- of Love's victory.
Most times, people can't see my necklace under my shirt and tie at work. But I can, in my mind's eye, where it's warm against my chest. My shield.

I got pondering when I saw this picture of Edge's pendant (borrowed a page from PLEBA -- never thought you'd see THAT in here, didja??

)... Always wondered what that one was, and I'm tickled to see it's a really, REALLY nice cross... a fine addition to the collection, 'twould be, too.

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He set my feet upon a rock
made my footsteps firm

the greatest frontman in the world -- by truecoloursfly: http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=1575

 

[Discoteque]

i don't know what the difference is, as I've never know any other churches than those who sported simple crosses (none with the figure of Christ, and we always called it a "cross")...but i know the boys have worn many pieces of cross jewelry in their careers, and I am always happy to see it when they do...love this one that Edge is wearing in the pic....

 

[spanisheyes]

One might believe that the cross without Christ on it symbolizes the risen Christ, and that the crucifix is Christ on the cross, but without the resurrection. I like the cross with the thought of it being void of His body because of His resurrection, but once in awhile, I like the crucifix with Christ on it as a reminder of what He did for all of us.

Chris

 

[80sU2isBest]

Originally posted by truecoloursfly:
Someone of no particular faith asked me once, assuming it wasn't merely "traditional," why I wear it. The question --from him -- compelled me to examine my answers.
I wear it to tell the world that Christ lives in me, certainly. But moreso to remind myself, constantly, that reality lies beyond the flesh, in the Resurrection. That I am not defined by my body, nor limited by it. The reality at the heart of this cross around my neck is bigger than worries, bigger than politics. It's my own remembrance of Him, I guess -- of Love's victory.
Most times, people can't see my necklace under my shirt and tie at work. But I can, in my mind's eye, where it's warm against my chest. My shield.

I love that! That even goes beyond the subject of "cross necklaces" and serves as a beautiful testimony of faith in Christ. Absolutely lovely!

 

[melon]

The dictionary is wrong. The crucifix is a cross with Jesus crucified on it. The cross is without Jesus. The main difference is really just the preferences between Catholicism, which uses the crucifix, and Protestantism, which uses the cross. Aside from the politics, the intentions are noble on both ends.

Melon

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"He had lived through an age when men and women with energy and ruthlessness but without much ability or persistence excelled. And even though most of them had gone under, their ignorance had confused Roy, making him wonder whether the things he had striven to learn, and thought of as 'culture,' were irrelevant. Everything was supposed to be the same: commercials, Beethoven's late quartets, pop records, shopfronts, Freud, multi-coloured hair. Greatness, comparison, value, depth: gone, gone, gone. Anything could give some pleasure; he saw that. But not everything provided the sustenance of a deeper understanding." - Hanif Kureishi, Love in a Blue Time

 

[hippy]

I think Deb brought up a good topic...

I've always wondered... Do people wear "jewelry" as decorative items or do people wear it as symbols/reminders of what's important to them?

My answer is the latter...
I wear a peace sign at my neck that acts for me much as the cross acts for Deb...it reminds me of the ideals I've committed to and the things I would like to achieve in life. I also wear two rings, one was my great great grandmother's and serves for me as a reminder of my family and where I came from. The other ring is my birthstone and serves as a reminder of my own life and the people who I love and those who love me...

What about everyone else here? Do you wear things as decorative items or do they hold special meaning for you?

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BONO: FOAD, Lawrence. Just FOAD. (LOL, Mona)

You can dream, so dream out loud!

Create Light, Create Unity, Create Joy, CREATE PEACE!

 

[DebbieSG]

I agree with 80sU2isBest, that was a beautiful statement, Deb. I did look at crosses that way, with a certain fondness, and thinking of Christ's love and his power to save, until I went to a Billy Graham Crusade and he gave a sermon on just this. He said we sentimentalize the cross too much. Really, he said, the cross is a symbol of shame. Well I was surprised to hear that! He mentioned several bible verses, which I can't site except this could be one: (Heb 12:2a) "looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame"

Word for word what Billy Graham said I can't put down here, but it leaves me to think this: The cross stands (or we wear one) to remember that our salvation came through the Son of God being sacrificed on the Cross. He paid for our sins that way, yet he had done nothing wrong! Jesus said "take up your cross and follow me." Each Christian living in the world has to face punishment from the world for choosing God, and each Christian knows he/she can endure just as Jesus did.

Just some food for thought!

 

[truecoloursfly]

Originally posted by DebbieSG:
He said we sentimentalize the cross too much. Really, he said, the cross is a symbol of shame. Well I was surprised to hear that! He mentioned several bible verses, which I can't site except this could be one: (Heb 12:2a) "looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame"

Wow! I suppose I oughtn't try to speak for Dr. Graham, but I can at least...respond!

I think it's important for us to remember that the cross WAS a symbol of shame -- yes, we do "sentimentalize" it when we see it as a sort of spiritual Hallmark card, a "happy" symbol. We can't afford to forget that crucifixion was a dishonourable death in Jesus' time, that it was NOT a noble, martyr's finish. Like his birth in a barn -- he was born a nobody! He died like a common thief, if in innocence. The humiliation of what we have come to call his Passion ... at times overwhelms me. Jesus, the man, overwhelms me, the one I find in Gethsemane. As he transcended his human fear, so he transformed the shame of the cross. For me, the cross is the bridge between fear and deathlessness.

hippy, I like your question. All my jewellery except my earrings are symbolic, and one other piece bears mentioning here -- in a junk store, I found a bracelet that looks like a plain medium-guage chain, of nearly-black lacquered pewter links. It speaks to me, somehow, of transcendence: life without Spirit is nothing but chains. Somehow, wearing the bracelet is a reminder that I must make that choice between freedom and chains, every single day.

melon, it's good to hear from you.

Deb D

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He set my feet upon a rock
made my footsteps firm

the greatest frontman in the world -- by truecoloursfly: http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=1575

 

[in te domine]

"You broke the bonds
and you loosed the chains.
Carried the cross
and all my shame."

Yeah, the cross is about shame, or better yet, it is about the shame that Jesus took upon Himself for all of us. The shame, humiliation, and torture that He allowed upon Himself for us all.

I remembered a wonderful book I have and a wonderful poem it has on the topic of the cross. If I may indulge, I would like to share some of it with you all. I guess if you think I'm hoggin it up here, you can simply skip all of the following.

The book is titled "Who Told You That You Were Naked (Freedom from Judgement, Guilt and Fear of Punishment)" by John Jacob Raub

"The cross is the most recognized symbol of Christianity, but unfortunately the most misunderstood. We tend to see it in negative rather than in positive terms, as something that diminishes rather than enlarges us. We see the cross as the sign of our guilt rather than the ultimate sign of our innocence. of condemnation, rather than liberation, of seperation from, rather than union with God:

Thank you, God, for becoming a human being -
so I don't have to be like the gods.
Thank you for becoming finite, limited -
so I don't have to be infinite, unlimited.
Thank you for becoming mortal -
so I don;t have to try to be immortal.
Thank you for becoming inferior -
so I and others don't have to be superior.
For being weak -
so I and others don't have to be strong.
For being imperfect -
so I and others don't have to be perfect.
For being disapproved -
so I and others don't have to be approved.
God, thank you for being wrong -
so I and others don't have to be right.
For being a failure -
so I and others don't have to be a success.
For being poor in every way -
so I and others don't have to be rich in any way.

Christ on the Cross, thank you for being different from my idols, so that I don't have to hate myself and others for being different from those images I have created to support and hold me up.
Thank you for becoming all the things I think I should not be, so I don't have to kill myself and others trying to be all the things I think I should be.
Crucified God, thank you for becoming everything I despise about myself, so I can love myself and others in you.

I can love you - who by your humanity have joined yourself with me right at the point where I most dislike myself.

God - thank you for being crucified, so I can be free."

.

When I first read this, I was a little offended and confused. But I get it now.

Oh, one more thing! I think I read this on a t-shirt once:
"Wearing a cross around your neck is easy. Try wearing one on your back!"

 

[truecoloursfly]

in te domine --
wow. Thanks for sharing that -- brain workout! It's good to be challenged by such things unconventionally expressed.

And welcome here.

Deb D

 

[hippy]

Welcome in te domine (I really like your screen name

)

And like Deb said...thanks for that! I printed it out and it's going in my journal to remind me of those things.

Deb, thanks for answering my question. I have always been curious about that. I see so many people here in Miami wearing jewelry of all sorts, including religious jewelry, and I often wonder if they assign any meaning to it, or whether they just wear it cause it looks good.

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And love is not the easy thing...the only baggage you can bring is all that you can't leave behind.

BONO: FOAD, Lawrence. Just FOAD. (LOL, Mona)

Create Light, Create Unity, Create Joy, CREATE PEACE!