For a few months now, PGF has partnered with San Diego Presbytery by engaging in missional lunches in which we gather together in a particular congregation, hear about the church and surrounding community and then go out in pairs, asking the Lord to open our eyes to where he is at work. It has been a remarkable exercise, both for those who gather and for the host church. (I’ll speak more to this experiment in a future blog.)
Last week we met at Mt. Soledad Presbyterian Church which is within eyesight of a large cross that stands on public land. This cross has made national headlines due to lawsuits as to whether a religious symbol should be allowed on a governmental piece of property. As you can imagine the emotions have been charged for those on both sides of this issue.
As I stood on the church balcony and looked across the way at the cross I couldn’t help but reflect on the changing climate of our country. Whatever one’s view on this issue it seems fairly clear that our day and age has changed quite dramatically, even in just a generation. There was a time, of course, when having a cross on government property would have given little pause to most Americans. Christianity was in “power”, we were in control and our security was fairly high. Those days, it seems to me, have passed.
But rather than mourn the past (which, I might add, were not as glorious as many seem to imagine) or simply fight to reclaim what we feel we have lost, I think we have an incredible opportunity to discover our faith, our scriptures and our mission anew. The reality is that Christ is best understood, not from a framework of power or strength, but from a place of weakness and vulnerability. That it is because, not in spite of, our diminished status that we are in the perfect position to follow Christ fully, wherever he takes us.
One of the texts we at PGF often focus on is Luke 10:1-11. While there are many rich aspects of this passage, one of the most powerful is the reality that as the 70 went out into neighboring towns and villages that Jesus told them to enter into the homes of others. While that point is easily glossed over, the reality is that going into someone else’s home is a vital component of what it means to be sent out. For, if we are truly to be Christ’s body, we must be willing to give up the power, security and control that remain ours when the stranger is on our turf. Accepting the hospitality of others, entering into their lives and allowing them to be in the position of comfort and security, forces us to begin not in our own strength or power, but in Christ’s. It is a visible reminder that Christ has come to us wherever we are and that we are called to do no less for those in our own neighborhoods and communities.
The longer I looked at the cross on Mt. Soledad, the more I soaked in the irony that so many are vying for power over an object that so purely symbolizes weakness, vulnerability and sacrifice. May we as followers of the Christ who was crucified, embrace our new reality as we enter into other’s lives not with our own strength or wisdom, but with God’s. It may be just the thing that allows us to participate in the kingdom of the one in whom all power, dominion and strength resides. Sweet irony indeed!
“…allowing them to be in the position of comfort and security, forces us to begin not in our own strength or power, but in Christ’s.”
I think that’s exactly right. And I think that’s what most “missional” movements are lacking. We still rely on finding ways to be in “power” so that we can get people to hear our message or join our cause.
What you reflect is the truth that a huge cross is a symbol of power, not weakness. Would it not be more faithful to the gospel of Christ for it to be conveyed in the humility of – in place of such a huge monument – the simple, quiet reality of a life lived in justice and peace? I find it remarkable that so many who claim the Prince of Peace (and love those big crosses all across the country) are in so many ways supporting and celebrating the military way of doing business in human interactions. The way of Christ is peace and justice. The way of the world is power and war.
Can and should crosses be allowed in governmental public places? Has one not been to a federal military cemetary, where row upon row of thousands of very public crosses mark the final resting place of those who have secured our political freedom?
There is something exhilarating about an enormous cross on the top of a mountain. At a church camp, one may climb to “meditation hill” or some such place with a big cross. It lifts one’s spirits! Or how about the gargantuan Jesus of the Andes? Breathtaking.
Like the prominent cathedrals of Europe, crosses can lift a person to higher, deeper thoughts. Here in the US, that lifting has been done by a Christian symbol most often. That’s because most of us relate to it. A many-stories-tall Buddha in another land, or domes on a rock uplift those in other places. So be it.
Christianity doesn’t need to be the dominant religion, due merely to power, but it needn’t be the shrinking-violet, self-effacing religion that dares not be seen. We can think and do big–even in a culture that is pushing back against us, or among Christians who might make Jesus a meek peace totem.
Thank you all for your comments. Jim, I certainly agree that crosses in beautiful cathedrals, like those in Europe, can certainly lift the spirits. I have often come back from Europe a bit saddened that American congregations have so clung to pragmatism in their buildings!
I think what concerns me though is the sense that if we aren’t fighting for power than we are being a, to use your words, “shrinking-violet, self-effacing religion that dares not be seen.” What I am contending is that these are not the only two options. I, probably like you, am weary of a faith found in many of our congregations that relegates God to some private, sentimental being who has no real impact.
I am a firm believer that our faith must be seen, but I think it needs to be seen in our everyday interactions with our co-workers, neighbors and strangers we may meet along the way. To me, this takes much more risk and courage than any lawsuit over property rights could ever conjure. While it may not need to be an either/or, I am afraid we have too often taken the easy way out and not been willing to selflessly sacrifice for Christ.
Thanks again for your feedback. It’s important to me to be able to dialogue about these things.
i agree…let’s not cling to physical objects or trappings…let’s espouse and exhibit the virtues they represent.