The Beauty and Offense of the Cross--And Not Just At A 9/11 Memorial

Ryan Holladay, who serves a church that meets 2 blocks from Ground Zero, reflects on the claims of some atheists that the image of a cross displayed at the World Trade Center 9/11 memorial site, has caused them to suffer "dyspepsia, symptoms of depression, headaches, anxiety, and mental pain and anguish."

"Christians should recognize," he writes, "that these seem to be the sort of symptoms many sane and thoughtful persons experience upon encountering an unwanted vision of the cross. Far from being silly, these four atheists seem to take the cross more seriously than many believers do."

Well, their claims are still silly, but he has a bigger point, so read on.

The cross "tells the world's strangest story in an image...: the whole world stands equally guilty of committing history's greatest atrocity, an atrocity in light of which the events of 9/11 pale in comparison. God came to earth, and we killed him."

So why would a nation cling to it as a sign of hope in the days after 9/11? The answer can be found in the writings of the Apostle Paul, "who advanced what would become the best-known but least-understood tenet of Christian theology: that somehow the death of the perfectly sinless Christ was itself the event which atoned for all the wrongdoing of the sinful human race."

Holladay concludes:

If true, this turns the cross into a profound paradox. The same event that condemns humanity also justifies it, standing at once as damning evidence of guilt and a doorway to forgiveness and innocence. What's more, the very episode that shows humanity at its worst shows God at his best, as he transforms an act of wickedness into a display of mercy and love. It is difficult to imagine themes more relevant to the attacks of September 11.

Suppose God himself has suffered and died at the hands of evil men. Suppose God himself has shown the capacity for taking what was intended for harm and using it for good. Might this affect the way we ourselves face evil and suffering? Might this be a source of strength to someone who is waist-deep in ash and rubble, trying to loosen bodies from steel and concrete?

For the person who accepts this narrative, the cross is the only thing that makes sense in the face of a senseless tragedy. But for the person who rejects it, the cross serves as a reminder of an offensive and seemingly absurd accusation, adding insult to injury. The trouble with the cross is that it refuses to be the universal symbol of beauty that some would make it out to be—it speaks life to those who believe, but death to those who do not.

No wonder people disagree about where it should be displayed.

It would be worth your while to read the whole thing. It will provoke some personal reflection as we move toward the 10th anniversary of the 9.11 attacks this Sunday.