The Cross…?

 

"What can it tell me, right? It’s a scandal. I don’t even want to think of it. I don’t like to dwell on all Jesus’ sufferings. I feel so helpless to do anything…” If this is you, then you have a lot of company. What good can the cross possibly be? Yet here it is, the Feast of the Holy Cross, right in the middle of Ordinary Time. It’s as if the Church doesn’t want us to lose sight of it, even when we’re in the green “growing time.” Why – so far from Lent, does this feast appear?

 

The Christian community fully accepts the Jewish scriptures as its own. The God of those texts can be pretty tough. They present an image of God that rightfully demands respect and reverence, faithfulness and obedience, and no one wants to dismiss these responses as unimportant. But then we have the New Testament, and suddenly much more emerges. No longer is God speaking through a prophetic writer who puts the word down on dead animal skins. No. Now the Word is speaking in living flesh – in person – the person of Jesus.

 

Catherine of Siena once asked Jesus why he had his heart pierced when he was already dead. He replied that all his human suffering couldn’t capture all his love, so he had his heart opened up so that we could find it there. With this, we have the clue. Here “the more” emerges. Before, we had God speaking through humans. Now we have God speaking human. And what does God say? Jesus is telling us our lives are going to be full of suffering, and he is going to be with us in the midst of it. It’s not just a punishment, it’s not because we deserve it; it’s just because God needs it somehow…the way a gardener needs manure. Make no mistake. We don’t keep manure in the kitchen. No. But put in the right place by a wise gardener, it does marvelous things.

 

So the cross is a revelation. It tells us something of God – how far God will go to be with us no matter what. So take the crucifix down from your bedroom wall and put it in your lap. Let it talk to you. Maybe it’s about that constant arthritic pain you carry day after day. Maybe it’s that relative that has backed off from contact with the family. Maybe it’s that habit of yours that you can’t seem to shake…that drives everyone crazy…you included. Where’s the cross in your life? What is it telling you about God? About you?

 

There you are,

Hanging on that thing like a piece of meat, on exhibition.

That’s no place for a God…!

Or is it.

There you are, all cut open, blood flowing…can’t be stopped.

Are you telling me nothing can stop your love, not even my foolishness?

Flowing, flowing over me, drawing out all my poison, my anger, my bitterness?

You take it to yourself, don’t you…to stop it from destroying me…eating me up.

So the news is out. That’s where the REAL God is …there, telling me all I need to know.