You know the crucifix has been a symbol for millions and millions of Christians down through the ages. People love to wear the crucifix. And the crucifix is a beautiful piece of jewelry. However, it falls miserably short of communicating the true focus of Christianity. The crucifix is a cross with Jesus hanging there, His head down, His body limp. It shows us that Christ died on the cross for our sins, yet it leaves Jesus on the cross. It doesn’t communicate the fact that Christ was buried for three days and rose again. It doesn’t communicate the fact that Christ is ruling and reigning in heaven. It doesn’t communicate the fact that He is a constant companion, that He is here with us, that He is leading us and guiding us and showing us the way. Oh, no, no, no. The crucifix falls miserably short of mirroring the majesty of our maker. Anything that we make, mold or imagine in an attempt to communicate the true essence and nature of God is coming dangerously close to breaking the second commandment. Because image is everything. Inage is everything.
God’s chosen people, the Israelites, didn’t get into trouble when they worshipped in the temple. They got into trouble when they began to worship the temple. The sixth century Christians didn’t mess up the with the second commandment when they had statues and ornaments and decorations in their churches. They broke the second commandment when they began to worship the statues and the ornaments and the decorations.
Don’t you see? It is so easy, isn’t it, to try to make something or mold something or imagine something that mimics and reflects the image of God. It doesn’t really work. Yet, in our finiteness, in our humanity, we want something that we can touch and feel and experience.
© Copyright 2012admin, All rights Reserved. Written For: Ed Young Jr
