Saturday, April 4, 1998

Christians transform meaning of cross

By URSULA HULL / Religion News Service

For many Christians, the cross remains the central symbol of their faith, a sign of spiritual rebirth and renewal.

But in Jesus' time, the cross was a despised means of execution and symbolized betrayal. Only the lowest of criminals -- robbers, deserters, traitors and rebels -- were forced to "bear" it.

By crucifying him on a T-shaped cross, a form of capital punishment usually reserved for non-Roman citizens, the authorities intended to publicly humiliate Jesus and his followers, and to discredit his new-found movement.

But the original intent of the Romans has been reversed over time as Christians have come to revere the cross as a representation of eternal life and forgiveness since, according to tradition, Jesus rose from the dead that first Easter morning.

The Christian practice of physically making the sign of the cross -- by touching the head, then the chest, and finally each shoulder -- as a profession of faith originated before 200 A.D.

Before the time of Jesus, the cross was revered by many ancient cultures. To the Egyptians, the cross symbolized life; to the Greeks, it was a metaphor for the four elements of creation -- Earth, air, fire and water.

A number of rituals and superstitions have evolved around the symbol of the cross. In religious practice, it may be used as a defense against demonic forces; in fiction it's said to ward off vampires.

The cross, in its various forms, has played significant roles in world history. It's been imprinted on battle shields and is used still as an award for valor, such as the famed Iron Cross given by Germany and the Victoria Cross given by Great Britain. Two of the highest military honors given by the U.S. Congress include the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

To Middle Eastern Muslims in the 11th through 13th centuries, the cross was a terrifying symbol of European domination as Crusaders attempted to recapture the Holy Land from them. And the now-infamous swastika, an X with bent end bars, once was a symbol of good luck until it became the dreaded emblem of the Nazi regime during World War II.

The Latin cross, with its upright longer than its transom, is most commonly found in Western culture. The Greek cross has equal length arms. St. Andrew's cross is an X and the tau cross is a T. The cross used by Eastern rite Christians has two transoms and a slanted crosspiece below.

Ornamental crosses remain popular among both the devout and non-believers alike. Gems and rhinestones, wood and precious metals forged into crosses are often used to make fashion statements or simply to express personal piety.

A tour through any community in America is nearly certain to uncover some unique crosses with rich histories. Take, for example, the Sacramento Valley of Northern California.

In 1975, the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California constructed its 10-foot Pilgrimage Cross from indigenous California redwood. Since then, the Pilgrimage Cross has been carried to 64 Episcopal churches throughout the diocese's 53,100 square miles, said Canon Grant Carey of Sacramento's Trinity Cathedral, where the cross is now permanently housed.

At Sierra Hills Cemetery in Sacramento, an 8-foot wooden cross has become the centerpiece for an annual Easter sunrise service that is attended by more than 600 people each year.

And each year, the city's St. John's Lutheran Church carves the remains of its 26-foot Christmas tree into a cross.

"We keep it until Easter and decorate it with calla lilies," said the Rev. David Peters, the pastor of St. John's. "The tree turned into a cross represents the life of Jesus Christ, from the incarnation to the crucifixion."