The Cross, The Sword, and The Flag

"Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword." - Matthew 26:52

Since before recorded history man has sought to take control of his own destiny - not only in the personal and eternal sense, but also in the sense of directing and controlling the events and influences of life on himself and others. It manifests itself postitively through the development of technology that is designed to bring various forms of comfort and healing to the human race. But, unfortunately, it also manifests itself in personal and national acts of abuse and violence against those that are perceived as "enemies."

Ironically, according to the teachings of the church fathers, this desire to control people, places and things, is the root cause behind the biblical concept of sin. The "fall" of mankind did not happen because Adam and Eve ate the "forbidden fruit," it was the consequence of denying the sufficiency and provision of God - thus creating a division, or duality between the flesh and spirit - something that we continue to do by nature. Thus we (as a species or kind) lost our divine nature created in the "image of God." Jesus' advent - life, death and resurrection restored humanity and all of creation to its former status - restored our DNA if you like.

"For the Son of God became man so that we might become God" - St. Athanasius (4th Century)

Today many seem to limit the biblical definition of sin to what is done or said to others - referring to the "Decalogue" or "Ten Commandments," as the ultimate list of negative "don'ts" that when avoided lead us away from sin and toward good moral behavior. To many this is enough of a definition of religion, and they campaign for the display of the "Ten Commandments" on a plaque or wall. Almost believing that by displaying the rules it makes them happen. Unfortunately, for most of us, they become more like a digital clock and thermometer that you see outside a bank - emphasizing the gap between our perception and the reality - It's 95 degrees - I wish it were 75, or my gosh, is that the time???

The Ten Commandments were given as a kind of spiritual "speed limit" sign - they serve the purpose of reminding us what we should be doing - but they don't stop us from doing the wrong thing, or "speeding" - that takes a decision on our part.

When Jesus began to teach He revealed a much deeper understanding of the concepts of righteousness and sin that went way beyond the practice of "rule keeping." In fact, Jesus emphasized the acquisition of a heart and mind that generated the intent that the law merely measured. To continue in terms of my crude analogy - when one learns to drive safely with skill and concentration, it is not always necessary to have a "speed limit" sign - the driver often intuitively knows the best and safest speed for the situation.

THE CROSS AS A SWORD - GOD IN THE HANDS OF ANGRY SINNERS

When Pope Benedict XVI made his recent comment about Islam spreading through violence, it invoked anger from within the Muslim community, (ironically generating a response that acted as a proof statement for his comments!) However, in many ways, what he said can be applied to all religions to a certain extent - especially those of Abrahamic origin (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam).

The association of the Kingdom of God (or Heaven) with the Kingdom of Men (or the World); God's Kingdom as an earthly empire, has hijacked the compassionate message of Christ. It shouldn't be the desire to control (a symptom of the "fall") being utilized as a means to establish truth. It is trying to spread love with a sword - which was pretty much how Christianity spread under the campaigns of Constantine the Great in the 4th century, and how Islam spread in the 8th century under the rule of the Caliphates. The common theme of both of these campaigns is the concept of a "Holy War" - an empire or government that seeks to "convert" the world to a heavenly kingdom.

It is confusing the Sword with the Cross.

Jesus' teaching is very clear -

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." - Matthew 5:44

He not only taught this but demonstrated it by His prayers of forgiveness for those who crucifed Him.

THE FLAG AS A CROSS - GOD IN THE HANDS OF NATIONALISM

Many "Mega" churches or "culturally-current" churches have removed the Cross from their sanctuaries because they do not want to be focused on the "symbols of suffering," (as I've heard it called) - but many of these same churches have no hesitation at displaying a flag - which they call a symbol of freedom. They are a little confused - the Cross is the ultimate symbol of freedom and allegiance to the One who gave Himself to death on it is the only citizenship that lasts beyond time and history.