(13) He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.
The cross represents for us salvation, and the display of the cross hopefully shows that we are dedicated to living as disciples of our Lord. Jesus gave His life so that we might be changed by virtue of a relationship with Him. The public display of the cross can not only provide hope to people, but can remind us of the foundation upon which our laws have been built. Following Christ can tranform a life, and the principles of Scripture are a prescription for a transformed culture.
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In 1st Corinthians 1, the apostle Paul is writing about the message of the cross. Verse 18 says:
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
Later in the chapter, we read:
(23) we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
There is a new law in the province of Bavaria in Germany - the premier has declared that, according to ReligionNews.com, "crosses be displayed at the entrances to government buildings across his state."
The response has been, well, predictable. But, the premier, Marcus Soder, according to the article...
The national leaders of Germany's Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, both of whom live in Munich, which is Bavaria's capital, have denounced the so-called "cross edict."
The article states:
In America, there is a strong move against the public display of religious symbols under the guise of church-state separation; this is a refreshing contrast that we see in this one German province. Think about it - we have had crosses incorporated into the seals of government entities, crosses that have been erected as memorials, and more. It is a bit of a culture shock to think about adding crosses to the cultural landscape, rather than having them be subtracted.
And, even though there will be those who are uncomfortable with the symbol of the cross, the public display can remind us of the basis for our laws and morality and how, if we lived according to the teachings of Jesus, it can impact how our culture functions, and how well that it would.
For the individual Christian, we certainly believe the concept that the cross brings change. Christ's death on a cross means for us salvation. He died on that cross so that we, by identifying with His death and resurrection, can be raised up to new life.
But, the cross also has ongoing implications in our lives day-to-day. Because we have become His followers, we are called to be obedient and reflect His character.
It seems like these days that the Church is vulnerable to becoming distracted from the ways of the cross and be caught up in issues that don't relate to life change through Christ. Speaking out on public policy matters is a worthy and important pursuit, but if we become so political that it replaces our relationship with Christ, our personal time with Him, and our calling to be obedient, then priorities are misplaced. The cross reminds us of Who should be in control, Who sets the course of our lives, and the power we have to live like Jesus.
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
There is a new law in the province of Bavaria in Germany - the premier has declared that, according to ReligionNews.com, "crosses be displayed at the entrances to government buildings across his state."
The response has been, well, predictable. But, the premier, Marcus Soder, according to the article...
...has presented the move not as a religious dictate, but merely a reflection of the values his fellow Bavarians share. The cross, he says, “has a defining effect on the identity of our society,” and hanging it in public offices shows “our Bavarian identity and way of life.”And, there is support from a number of religious leaders. The article states, "Some 80 Catholic and Protestant theologians issued an ecumenical statement of support, saying: 'The cross stands for human dignity founded in God.'" It points out that, "Bavaria already had many crosses on public squares, on mountaintops and in public offices, so extending this to all offices was a natural step, they said." A survey showed that a majority of Bavarians supported the move.
The national leaders of Germany's Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, both of whom live in Munich, which is Bavaria's capital, have denounced the so-called "cross edict."
The article states:
Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, Munich’s Lutheran bishop and head of the Evangelical Church in Germany, or EKD, said ordering the cross to be displayed as a symbol of political identity degraded the meaning of the cross.
“That means loving your enemy, helping the weak, a commandment of love for all, instead of using the cross to ward off others,” he said in a veiled jab at politicians fanning the anti-immigrant mood in Bavaria.
Politicians in Söder’s Christian Social Union party jumped aboard his cross campaign, denying that it excluded anyone, including non-Christians.Soder looks to have a challenging re-election bid. He is thought to be presenting a more moderate approach to the AfD party, which has been described as "anti-immigrant," and which made significant inroads in Parliament in the last election.
In America, there is a strong move against the public display of religious symbols under the guise of church-state separation; this is a refreshing contrast that we see in this one German province. Think about it - we have had crosses incorporated into the seals of government entities, crosses that have been erected as memorials, and more. It is a bit of a culture shock to think about adding crosses to the cultural landscape, rather than having them be subtracted.
And, even though there will be those who are uncomfortable with the symbol of the cross, the public display can remind us of the basis for our laws and morality and how, if we lived according to the teachings of Jesus, it can impact how our culture functions, and how well that it would.
For the individual Christian, we certainly believe the concept that the cross brings change. Christ's death on a cross means for us salvation. He died on that cross so that we, by identifying with His death and resurrection, can be raised up to new life.
But, the cross also has ongoing implications in our lives day-to-day. Because we have become His followers, we are called to be obedient and reflect His character.
It seems like these days that the Church is vulnerable to becoming distracted from the ways of the cross and be caught up in issues that don't relate to life change through Christ. Speaking out on public policy matters is a worthy and important pursuit, but if we become so political that it replaces our relationship with Christ, our personal time with Him, and our calling to be obedient, then priorities are misplaced. The cross reminds us of Who should be in control, Who sets the course of our lives, and the power we have to live like Jesus.
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