The deeper I delve into this book, the more I feel the weight of what it might mean to bear the cross of Christ. Feeling this weight, I have no doubt of its importance. I can see that the way that this weight is borne will define and shape my life. It not only speaks into the way I understand peace and war but it also speaks into the everyday moments when I am confronted by the reality of my neighbors.
It would be much easier to manage this weight by distancing myself from it altogether. I feel the temptation to understand the weight of the cross in how it relates to “the nations,” to the poor and oppressed, to those who have been deceived…. When I broaden my understanding by spreading it out so wide, it would seem that I could distribute the weight of the cross better. It is much more bearable this way, yes?
The temptation is strong, almost justifiable even. But if I do not gain an understanding of what it means to bear the cross of Christ in such a way that speaks into how I see and interact with my neighbor, than I have no understanding of the cross of Christ at all.
anothervapor 