I first started collecting crosses in 1998 after I was appointed to the Wesley Foundation at the University of Texas at Arlington.  This Wesley Foundation had no chapel or other worship space so I set out to create some space set aside for worship.  I thought crosses would be a good place to start.  Believe it or not crosses were hard to find fourteen years ago, especially those I could afford.  Now they seem to be everywhere I go.  Needless to say my collection has grown; I have enough to cover two walls at the house and one wall in the office — and this is after giving some of the crosses away.

I remember one cross I had in particular.  The cross was made of broken pieces of green pottery.  The broken pieces were glued together to form the cross.  For me it was symbolic in two ways:  the brokenness of Christ and our brokenness.  Jesus was willing to be broken for us.  “This is my body broken for you,” we are reminded at communion.  He hung on the cross so that we might know and accept God’s grace, love and forgiveness.  His body was broken so that we might accept the new life he offered us.

Because of his brokenness we can take our brokenness to him and be made whole once more.  Yes, we will have scars and no doubt we will be different but we will be whole.  Our lives can be shattered for all kinds of reasons – loss of loved ones, illness, stress, emotional pain, and sin—to name a few.  Christ invites us to come to him with our burdens, with our brokenness and be freed.  Jesus promised abundant life to all who believe and follow him.

The green cross made of shards of broken pottery reminds me to go to Christ whenever I am feeling broken.  The promise of the cross is I will be made whole and new.

Pastor Donna