seen this symbol many a time before on various artifacts, including clothes, jewelry and posters, but I never truly gave it much thought until I saw it on someone of whom I considered to be talented and influential.
interesting paradoxes. The cross, in its upright position, is a symbol of the Power of God through Jesus. It is a representation of the changed life of the Christian and the gift of spiritual Salvation for those who believe. The upside down cross is also a powerful symbol; the original meaning, also known as the Petrine cross or the inverted cross, was used (centuries ago) as a strong Christian symbol to represent love and humility; as it was purposed to honor the Apostle Perer who chose to be crucified upside down, so not to die in the same way as Jesus did. He did not deem himself worthy to be martyred in the likeness of Christ, and has been honored throughout the centuries for his humble spirit and unconventional style of death. So, according to it's original context, the upright cross represents power and the inverted cross represents love and humility. Comforting meanings aren't they?! Unfortunately, there is a counterfeit interpretation, as well.
The other meaning for the inverted cross, which I'm sure most of us are more familiar with, is its symbol with the occult and the demonic. Many horror movies incorporate the symbol to give homage to satanic powers and darkness. Atheists also identify with the symbol of the upside down cross because they interpret it as an expression of their denial of Christ and a godless belief.It's creepy, I admit. Even as I was searching for images to display on this post, I was really weirded out. The sight of some of the pictures even made me shudder!
After reading a few articles on the matter, I was left with a dramatic and impressionable thought: it is so imparitive that we conduct ourselves to the fullness of Christ, least our "symbol" - our lifestyle, be misinterpreted as something dark and contrary to what its original purpose was meant to be. Now, despite how culture chooses to interpret and reinvent symbols, beliefs and customs, the original meaning and purpose remains the same: the "N" word will always have roots in offense, no matter how much our generation may argue it. A man will always be a man, no matter how many surgeries he undertakes and a white woman will genetically always be white, despite her use of weave and tanning spray. The cross, inverted or not, is the same: it will forever represent the Power of God in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, regardless of man's attempt to reinvent it. However, the manner in which it is displayed can in fact nullify it's meaning to onlookers who are not familiar with it's origin of purpose. Those who do not know the cross are easily influenced by alternative meanings. And that is where we come in... as the carriers of Christ and as His representatives, we must take heed and precaution to be sure that on lookers see us as a symbol of God's power, love and humility, and not as a symbol of denial and godlessness.
Let me explain what I mean through some questions to consider:
Is it possible that a guy can walk away disappointed and disillusioned in someone's behavior because he initially considered someone to be a wholesome Christian woman, only to observe her engaging in compromising outfits, Facebook pictures and poor lifestyle choices? Sure, she may be a Christian, but what is the symbol of her life portraying to him?
Or, how might our co-workers' perception of Christ change if they see us praying in the break room and then gossiping in the parking lot?
What about our friends who see us as a strong Christian woman, only to one day discover that we aren't practicing what we preach- making excuses for short comings, participating in affairs that are contrary to Christ and tolerating what is contrary to scripture?
What about our families? Do they see us giving, sacrificing and loving others at church and in our communities, yet showing contempt for them within our homes?
There are so many more scenarios we could consider, but I think we all get the point. The truth is, Christians aren't perfect. We make mistakes and fall short in one area or another, every day. There will never be a 24 hour period where a Believer gets it all right. There are lies to confess, forgiveness to be granted, gossip to apologize for and schedules to be re-organized in order to make time for spending with the Lord. Thank God for His Grace and Mercy, right? Amen! Yet, despite the common "church" knowledge that no Christian is perfect, the world is looking for exactly that! They hear "Christian" and automatically, their magnifying glasses come out! We are constantly under so much scrutiny to uphold Christ in our daily lives, it seems exhausting at times! Sometimes, I just want to shout, "I AM NOT PERFECT!!!!! Stop judging me to a standard that is impossible to keep!"
Am I alone in this? Probably not. The issue however, is not in how the world perceives us, but in how we are willing (or unwilling) to purpose in our hearts to portray Christ in a manner that says, "Less of me and more of Jesus".
I think all of us have had experiences a time or two in living an inverted life- a life of compromise. In lay men's terms, hypocrite is the best definition. Like the inverted cross, our original purpose can become twisted when people see us as unauthentic and insincere. When we decide to live as "More of me and less of Jesus", we portray our cross contrary to its original purpose and the world sees that and considers that to be the true symbol.
It's easy to have the independent mindset that other people's opinions of us is not our problem or concern, but scripture teaches otherwise. In fact, according to the Bible, it should be one of our top priorities to be conscious of how our lives are depicted and perceived by those around us.
Philippians 2:3 states, "...in humility consider others above yourself".
In her study, "Children of the Day", Beth Moore teaches that independence against the opinions of others is a sign of spiritual immaturity. The mature and effective Christan understands that her example could make or break someone's understanding, interest and acceptance of Christ. She is not willing to compromise herself because she recognizes the eternal risks that could ensue and the damage that she could cause in the lives of those who are watching her, should she slack in one spiritual area or another. In her heart and mind, she has resolved to forsake all for Christ and His calling and glory. She is not willing to compromise or display her relationship with Jesus as hypocrisy because she knows what is at stake!
I'd like to leave you with this last scripture, also found in Philippians chapter 2:
"become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky."- Philippians 2:15
The purpose of the stars is to help light up the darkness. We are called to be stars and light in this dark culture! The world around us is looking for a hope, a genuine display of who God truly is and, regardless of what they might say, they are truly hoping that you are the real deal! It's not enough to want to shine, we have to be willing and strive to shine, no matter the cost. "Less of me and more of Christ", should be our daily anthem. The world is counting on you to wear your cross as it was intended. They need to see that this symbol of a life lived in power, love and humility is not godless, after all.
Weather upright or inverted...Cary your crosses in the manner in which it was purposed!
~Pearls
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