Suffering

I had a discussion with my coworker's fiancee last night about the crucifix. I have never had a problem with the crucifix, and in fact, have become quite fond of it as a tool for reminding us that God suffered and died for my sins. I encountered something I had never been called: an idolater for depicting Christ on the cross.

This brother called the corpus on the cross a "graven image" which depicts God and therefore is an idol. I'm not one to take something like that sitting down, and attempted to defend myself as well as possible, but wasn't positive that my defense was solid. As this brother defined "graven image," I was indeed guilty of what he accused me of. If "graven image" means making an image of God, then the crucifix is, indeed, an idol.

This definition does not, however, coincide with the Biblical meaning of idol and is therefore often misused by iconoclasts. Accordng to Exodus 20, the "graven image" commandment actually concerns with making images of things in heaven, things in hell, or things which we don't understand. I'm not sure the exact restrictions of the commandment, but It is clear, according to Exodus 20, that a depiction of something that occured here, in the flesh, is not a sin.

Since God became man in the incarnation, God brought himself down to us and joined us in our sinful flesh. At Jesus birth, he became what we are. God ceases to be up and above us, where we must attempt to reach him. God is now among us, waiting to lift us out of our sin to perfection. This work is "finished" on the cross, where Christ takes our sin upon himself.

This is where many have a problem. Christ takes our sin upon himself. Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, becomes our sin according to Paul. This is not the image which modern Christians like. They prefer to see their God as all powerful and all-mighty, not suffering and dying like a theif on a cross. This is, however, where God chooses to be found.

Christ comes to us through suffering, and through that suffering do we find peace with God. Christ becomes our sin, so that he may become our righteousness. This is truly the most noble of human works, and through the work of Christ on the cross do we come into arms of the Father.

I will, therefore, continue to use the crucifix as a visual reminder of God's suffering. Of the day God died, and the day that I lived.

For if we are baptized into his death, surely we will be baptized into his resurrection.