Last August, the guy that moved in next to me, Landon, popped his head in - asking me if I was going to be up for a while. He was going to be putting some nails in to "hang crosses" and didn't want to wake me. (very considerate)

The Sound of the hammer didn't keep me up - but the words he said did... When was the last time you've ever heard of someone going about the task of  'hanging crosses' (much less making sure nobody was going to be disturbed by the noise of hanging crosses)? I've got a rod-iron sculpture of a crucifix hanging above my desk that I got from a friend who is now gone, and this brief conversation with Landon caused me to remember how difficult it was to hang that thing securely. It weighed about 10 lbs and can't be supported by any ordinary thumbtack. (I ended up rigging it up with nylon twine.) I had another neighbor  a few months ago who could find nowhere better to hang his cross then directly on the doorframe entering his bedroom/office area (causing taller people like myself to habitually bang my head on it upon entrance.)

Why is it that we hang crosses like this in such places of prominence? Is it to tell everyone who enters our space that "I'm a Christian" without using the words? Is it because it's a common decoration that looks good on the wall? Is it because it reminds us of our Savior? To be honest - I'm not even sure why that ugly rod-iron thing hanging above my desk or what I why I went through the trouble of putting it there... These things we put into our view every day probably should be there for a real reason. If they are there because they are merely art - than we've got a problem. Whether around our neck or on our wall - the cross is an ugly thing. These ancient torture devices we adorn our quarters with should not be void of meaning or passe - sometimes they should scare a person straight when their eyes fall upon them - especially empty ones - because that cross was meant for me - you - us. That cross had our names written all over it. 

I like my crucifix because it's got someone on it...Jesus. He knew what he was in for. Pain, Humiliation, death - and he chose to endure all that - for us. He took up that cross so we'd never have to even look upon a cross in fear again - yet we choose to wear them and put them on our walls at 1:15am. I can't help but wonder... if Jesus was putting something on his wall - or was going to get a tattoo of something - what would it be? (I'm guessing not a cross...)