ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, September 8, 1996 TAG: 9609100092
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: the back pew
SOURCE: CODY LOWE
In Christianity, probably no symbol is more powerful than the cross.
Whether it is a mantle-top crucifix adorned with the body of Christ, tiny golden earrings or rough-hewn wooden beams, the symbol provides many believers with a summary of the teachings of the faith.
That simple design exudes lessons of service and love and ultimate sacrifice that Christians cherish as the heart of their Savior's mission.
As we might expect with any symbol that means so much to so many, it is sometimes an emblem of controversy.
Many Protestants - and some Catholics, for that matter - object to crucifixes bearing the body of Christ. Theologically, they argue that the empty cross is a more powerful metaphor for the sacrifice of Christ - leading eventually to an empty tomb as well - than the physical act of hanging on the cross.
It's an argument that's been going on for some time, though it is no longer a particularly vocal one.
Over the years, some denominations have objected to having any cross on display inside - or on the steeple of - church buildings. They have feared, among other things, that the cross itself might become an object of a kind of idolatry, or that the more-important symbol of the empty tomb might be overshadowed by it.
I know of one church where there was a weekslong feud over whether a cross made of tree-limbs was appropriate in the pristine sanctuary. One week it was in. The next week it was out.
There are even arguments about just what the Bible means when it describes a "cross." There are, in fact, numerous configurations of the crossed beams - in the familiar "T" shape, or an "X" shape, or even the insistence by some denominations that the Bible really meant just a tree - on which at least one Bible verse describes Jesus' crucifixion.
For members of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia, a new debate about a cross is being voiced this month as the diocese prepares to consecrate a new bishop.
The Consecration Arrangements Committee thought that it would be a beautiful gesture to present the new bishop with a gold pectoral cross made from the melted down contributions of jewelry from members of the diocese.
Such a gift would come in part from every contributing household - and would be more personal than if the cross were bought from some mail-order house or even if it were crafted by a local artist from gold purchased elsewhere.
So, the committee mailed a letter to each parish seeking contributions of gold and jewels to be used in the creation of a cross.
The custom of presenting "gifts as a sign of our love, respect and commitment" to a newly consecrated bishop is "a wonderful gesture," wrote the Rev. Quigg Lawrence, rector of the Church of the Holy Spirit.
But he and the Rev. Roderick D. Sinclair, a priest from Blacksburg, worry that the gesture sends a mixed message and they said so in letters to the current issue of The Southwestern Episcopalian, the diocesan newspaper.
Sinclair wrote that it was "time to depart from tradition [of presenting a jewel-encrusted golden cross] and design a proper cross for the Rev. Mr. Powell made of wood. Wood is a symbol both of our religion and of our biblical faith. Wood respects the working members of our church who do not own gold and jewels. Wood also respects the poor, who cannot be drawn to a church that puts extravagant show ahead of human need."
Lawrence agreed. "What if many of our parishioners have no gold to contribute? ... Certainly we do not want our widows to have their gold fillings removed."
And he added the "disturbing thought and image" of "The first time God's people hocked their jewelry for a gold melt-down, they made a golden calf and incurred the wrath of God (Exodus 32:2-4)."
While no one expects the committee literally to create an idol for worship by Southwestern Virginia's Episcopalians, Lawrence and Sinclair seem certain to get a reaction to their pleas for an alternative gift for the incoming bishop.
Sinclair says there is time between now and the Oct. 26 consecration to have a regional artisan create a wooden cross, "possibly including local stone," for the bishop-elect.
In Sinclair's view, that kind of cross "reflects the agony and victory of our Lord more than gold and jewels do."
The debate is further evidence that the cross remains a powerful symbol - though some questions may remain about how it should be used.
LENGTH: Medium: 83 linesby CNB