Why the Cross? Understanding the Shape of the Christian Life

<p><span style=color: rgba(32 33 36 1)>The cross is the defining symbol of Christianity. It is by turn misunderstood misappropriated venerated and under-appreciated; absorbing a variety of meanings from the inspiring to the problematic. Inside or outside the church its over-familiarity is its strength and its weakness reduced at times to mere branding.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(32 33 36 1)>Yet within the New Testament scriptures and the lives of the early Christian communities 'the cross' represents a multi-faceted theology which grapples with state violence lament supernatural healing self-sacrifice; a life full of fear and mystery. By combing through those writings we discover a cross which is not a static symbol but an unfinished process: defining the shape of our own lives if we dare to let it.</span></p>