“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” John 3:16
Sr. Jancy John - Taiwan
Two thousand years ago, Jesus willingly embraced the death on the cross as an indication of hope for the salvation of humanity. However, the Romans conventionalized it as a state of retribution, for many the death of Jesus on the cross is an ambiguity; for others it is an insane action and for some others it is just a defeated story of the renowned protagonist. As St. Paul aptly stated, the cross may seem foolish to some. Yet, for those who believe, it is this cross once a symbol of suffering became a symbol of hope, a symbol of Gods unfathomable love for humanity. It is this cross took on a profound new meaning due to the one who embraced it on Good Friday, marking the pinnacle of Gods definitive sacrifice.
Standing beneath that cross, John experienced the depth of God’s love. This same cross inspired Peter to accept martyrdom, James to lay down his life for Christ, and Stephen to demonstrate unparalleled courage in his faith. Today our lives are marked as modern, scientific, digital and reasonableness in which every conventional meaning and impact of events have been changed. In this context, for each one of us personally, what is the significance of cross? Is it just an incidence that happened in distance past and every year we replicate it as a mere ceremony? Or does this commemoration of cross as the supremacy of astounding love have something to do with our personal, spiritual and mental renovation that can impact and transform our life in anyways?
Jesus suffering on the cross cannot be viewed as mere historical event which happened on 2024 years ago, but still continues to resonate in the present sufferings of humanity today. His cry of abandonment “My God, My God why have you forsaken me? echoes through out the world in the midst of poverty, war, violence, sickness, sexual harassment, rape, child abuse, problems of refugees, inequality, oppression etc. Are we there? Are we there To listen? To protect? To restore? To comfort? To prevent? To speak out? And as a whole with the fire in the heart and our feet on the move are we ready to light up their hearts and transmit life-giving hope to the suffering humanity?