by The Rev. Brenda Sol, Rector
Several years ago, I decided to reclaim a cross pendant I hadn’t worn in a long, long time. I spent a lot of my young adult years exploring other spiritual traditions, and, at the time, was really turned-off by what I knew about Christianity. By the time I found the cross, hidden away in a drawer at my parents’ house, alongside my 4-H ring, I had a new understanding of Christianity.
I also had warm memories of this particular cross – I think it was a confirmation gift from one of my grandmothers – and yet I was uncomfortable wearing a cross out in public. For starters, I lived in Seattle, where I had previously been comfortable in the land of “spiritual but not religious.” Moreover, I didn’t want other people to make up a story about me – judge me, I guess – based on my jewelry.
I had embraced the teachings of Jesus that we are all beloved children of God and that right behind “loving God with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength,” the second most important commandment is to “love our neighbors as ourselves.” So after much thought and prayer, I realized that I needed another symbol to slide onto the chain to complete the message I wanted to communicate — a peace sign.
I’d been wearing this peace sign/cross combination for quite awhile when I visited Bethlehem four years ago. Standing alongside the dividing wall in Bethlehem, reading the outcries of people around the world to bring peace to this land, I understood, at a deeper level, all that my favorite necklace means.
I also had warm memories of this particular cross – I think it was a confirmation gift from one of my grandmothers – and yet I was uncomfortable wearing a cross out in public. For starters, I lived in Seattle, where I had previously been comfortable in the land of “spiritual but not religious.” Moreover, I didn’t want other people to make up a story about me – judge me, I guess – based on my jewelry.
I had embraced the teachings of Jesus that we are all beloved children of God and that right behind “loving God with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength,” the second most important commandment is to “love our neighbors as ourselves.” So after much thought and prayer, I realized that I needed another symbol to slide onto the chain to complete the message I wanted to communicate — a peace sign.
I’d been wearing this peace sign/cross combination for quite awhile when I visited Bethlehem four years ago. Standing alongside the dividing wall in Bethlehem, reading the outcries of people around the world to bring peace to this land, I understood, at a deeper level, all that my favorite necklace means.
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