"And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:27
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Matthew 5:16
"Lighthouses don't blow horns… they just shine."
April 11, 2022 - The symbol of the cross was used by the pagan religions of India, China, Persia, Egypt and Babylon long before Jesus died on one. The upright cross was the sacred symbol of the Babylonian god Tammuz. It was also the symbol of the sun-god Sol, in ancient Rome. Such a cross was the original form of their letter “T,” the initial letter of the name of the god Tammuz.
Roman Catholics wear them as a symbol of Christ's death on the cross as many others do. (I gave Pam a small white gold cross a few years ago and she never takes it off.) But wearing a cross has become less meaningful since people in the entertainment industry (like Madonna, Ozzie Osbourne, Russell Crowe, etc.) hijacked it.
I personally prefer not to wear demonstrative things (WWJD T-shirts, Christian tattoos, etc.) to show I am a Christian. I figure that the way I live is more important than the symbols I wear. A lantern doesn't need the words "I am a lantern" written on it and if we're shining, we won't have to wear a sign saying we are.
We should put Jesus in our hearts before we wear His cross because wearing it is not the same as bearing it. Wearing the cross is easy.
Bearing it is not.
