Shalom Times
The cross has a vertical and a horizontal plank. Why is this so? I believe that the cross represents the divine paradox of Christian living. The vertical plank is looking heavenwards. The horizontal plank is looking sideways. You and I are like that cross. We have within us a plank that is directed vertically towards heaven. It is our higher and divine thoughts. They are directed upwards. They look to God. We want to serve God. We want to kill greed. We want to annihilate the lust in our minds. We want to liberate ourselves from sloth, lust and gluttony. We want to love God with all our hearts and our entire minds. The vertical plank is the nature of Christ within us.
The horizontal plank looks side ways. In spite of our heavenly thoughts, the cares and worries of the world drag us down. Paul lamented about the flesh in his thorn. Paul lamented that he is tempted to do what he does not want to do. We are caught in the crossroads of our minds. One aspect of our mind pulls us to heaven and the other aspect pulls us down to earth.
The inferior aspect represents the old Man or Adam within us. Adam represents the carnal longings in our mind. The Adam-like thoughts pull us sideways. Why do we hate the cross? The reason is simple. The diametrically opposite thoughts of heaven and earth are pulling us in two opposite directions and we are caught in the middle. There is a constant battle in the mind. One thought pulls you to the “Word” and other pulls you to the “World”. One pulls you to Christ, while the other pulls you to Adam. It causes pain when my body is ripped in two directions. One pulls me upwards and the other pulls me sideways. Carrying the Cross is painful as it pulls your body, mind and soul in two opposite directions. The pain is heart breaking, and so you cry, “Why crosses in my life?”
The “world” offers no cross. It tells you to move in horizontal direction only. It will never tell you to look heavenwards. There is no struggle in the world when cross is denied, and that is why people love Yoga and Tai Chi over the cross. You will have perpetual laughter, parties and festivals here, but you will forfeit eternity if you fail to look heavenwards. It is because of this self-immolation of the flesh that the cross becomes the instrument of your salvation through sacrifice. The kingdom of God is attained by violence and the violent inherits the kingdom. The violence is this struggle against our inferior nature. It is a lifelong battle.
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