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Holy Cross
SERMON - 10.15am, Emmanuel Church, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
Sunday 14th September 2008.
Revd. Matthew Vernon
It's amazing how quickly a cross can become a sword.
Give a child, especially a boy, a palm cross on Palm Sunday
• and its very likely that he'll turn it over and start swiping and stabbing.
I did it when I was that age.
That tendency can be seen again and again in the history of Christianity.
Sadly, older "boys" with large armies have used the cross as a sword and reeked terror and destruction.
The adventures in the Middle East of the current American administration are the latest in a long line.
Holy Cross Day is loaded with that history.
There's a tradition that Helena,
• the mother of Roman Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century,
• found the original cross in Jerusalem
• and had a church built on the site of Calvary.
Its latest incarnation is The Church of the Holy Sepulchre today.
Helena's visit was possible because Constantine had become Emperor at the battle of Milvian Bridge near Rome in the year 312.
Constantine had fought under the banner of the Cross.
It was a turning pointing in world history as Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire.
Christianity and Empire have been intertwined ever since.
The Anglican Communion is a legacy of the British Empire.
The tendency is also reflected in some of our hymns.
Have you noticed?
• "Onward Christian soldiers marching as to war with the cross of Jesus going on before"
• "Stand up, stand up for Jesus, you soldiers of the cross! Lift high his royal banner, it must not suffer loss."
For me, these are as bad as the second world war saying, "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition."
Or the cold war T-shirts "Kill a commie for Christ."
I don't suppose Senator John McCain or Governor Sarah Palin would agree with my dangerous liberal sentiments.
What a contrast to the wisdom of the Philippians passage we heard a few minutes ago.
• "Christ Jesus who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross."
This is wisdom of humility,
• of not thinking too highly of yourself,
• of self-emptying
• and being vulnerable.
The problem is that we Christians in our desire to be right,
• our need to be on the winning side
• have misinterpreted the second part of the Philippians passage.
We view it as triumphalistic and victorious.
• "Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Every knee may bend at the name of Jesus,
• but the name of Jesus is the name of love,
• not the point of a sword or the barrel of a gun.
God's ways are not our ways.
God's way is a wandering teacher from Galilee
• who taught peace and love of neighbour
• and ended up on a Roman cross and a criminal's death.
God's weapons are healing hands and words of love and justice.
The cross has become the universal symbol of Christianity.
It wasn't always that way.
In the early centuries, the fish was the symbol of Christianity.
No doubt you've seen those simple fish outlines on the back of cars,
• sometimes with Jesus written inside.
A neighbour in England had a fish outline with feet and Darwin written inside!
The Greek word for fish is Ichthus and can stand for a Greek phrase meaning "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour".
Whilst the fish has made a comeback , the cross is the global symbol of Christianity.
A kind of Christian logo, if you like, and as widely recognised as the Nike swoosh.
It's astonishing when you think about it.
An instrument of torture and death as the symbol of a religion.
I was reading the other day about the role of logos and brands in society today.
How people create their identity from the logos they buy and wear:
• perhaps brands of clothes with their logos to project a particular self-image;
• or a particular mobile phone – iphones are the latest must have gadget.
How would it be if we Christians took our logo seriously and formed our sense of identity from the cross?
Would we live differently?
The cross as a symbol for service and sacrifice,
• a symbol of letting go of control and power,
• a symbol of love and generosity.
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