The Cross

The other day I was running and it seemed as though song after song was just about the cross. I listen to the same songs over and over, so I found it strange that "the cross" just kept standing out in my mind.

I had some time to myself when I was sitting in the Miami Airport and was reading a book by Rob Bell, and I knew at that point why God kept brining "the cross" to mind.

This is what the passage said,

"This is what I mean by the sheer poetry of the Jesus story. Jesus is God coming to us in love. Sheer unadulterated, unfiltered love. Stripped of everything that could get in the way. Naked and vulnerable, hanging on a cross, asking the questions, 'What will you do with me?"

This is why for thousands of years Christians have found the cross to be so central to life. It speaks to us of God's suffering, God's pain, God's broken heart. It's God making the first move and then waiting for our response.

If you have ever given yourself to someone and had your heart broken, you know how God feels.

If you have ever given yourself to someone and found yourself waiting for their response, exposed and vulnerable, left hanging in the balance, you know how God feels.

If you have ever given yourself to someone and they responded, they reciprocated with love of their own, you know how God feels.

The cross is God's way of saying, "I know what it's like."

... the cross is God's way of taking away all of our accusations, excuses, and arguments. (Bell, 105-106)


Here is another passage about God's humility and softness towards us:

"If you're God and you want to express ultimate love to your creation, if you want to move toward them in a definitive way, you have a problem, because just showing up overwhelms people.

You wouldn't come as you are.

You wouldn't come in strength.

You wouldn't come in your pure, raw essence. You'd scare everybody away.

The last thing people would perceieve is love.

So how would you express your love in an ultimate way? How do you connect with people in a manner that wouldn't scare them off but would compel them to want to come closer, to draw nearer?

You would need to strip yourself of all of the trappings that come with ultimate power and authority. Thats how love works. It doesn't matter if a man has a million dollars and want to woo a woman, if she loves him for his money, it isn't really love.

If you were an almighty being who made the universe and everything in it, you would need to meet people on their level, in their world, on their soil...like them.

This is the story of the Bible. This is the story of Jesus."

This is some of what has been stirring in my heart and mind.

I spent this past week in Ohio and now I am home with my family! And it has all been wonderful!

Here are recent pictures of being with my family and climbing a big volcano. Being outside doing activities like this and running is the most peaceful thing for my mind and heart...