A Cross Should Be A Reminder of Love Whether You Wear One Or Not

by Eric Elkin

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me.”

— Matthew 16:24

Simplicity is not something people associate with a New York City subway train. Every time one steps on a train they can expect to see people of different nationalities, colors, styles, languages, and socio-economic backgrounds. The subway trains travel through every possible kind of neighborhood. To get a taste of the complexity, look at a subway map. It is filled with intersecting lines, letters, numbers, and colors.

One expects to see just about anything while riding on the subway. Still, an Amish woman riding a subway train tends to stick out. Why would anyone committed to simplicity venture off into this modern world of competing views?

This one particular Amish woman was traveling from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She was headed to the offices of the Fresh Air Fund, a program that provided inner-city children an outdoor summer experience. This was not her first trip to the city, so she was comfortable with her surroundings. The stares her way of dressing produced were familiar. They all looked at her as if to say, “What are you doing here?”

On this trip, a young man on the train looked at her and said, “Man, you dress funny!” It seemed a strange thing to say for a person with a bright orange mohawk and piercings all over his face. His body was covered with tattoos and he wore ripped jeans, a leather jacket, and no shirt. Truthfully, at the time, he fit into the environment more than the Amish woman.

The woman calmly looked at him and said, “I know why I what I wear, do you know why you wear what you wear?” It was not a slam or a put-down. Quite the contrary, it was the beginning of a conversation between two people from different worlds.

“God, who needs nothing, loves into existence wholly superfluous creatures in order that [God] may love and perfect them.”

— C.S. Lewis

The incident was something I read about in a newspaper years ago. What I found fascinating was the concept of how what we wear reveals our identity. More specifically, for the Amish woman, her dress revealed a specific religious, social, and economic background. For a pastor who does not wear anything which would give his identity away, what does that say about me?

The way we dress does reveal something about ourselves. Yet, most of us can hide our inner thoughts. The Amish woman could not. Every encounter with the outside world was a proclamation of what it means to take up the cross of Christ and follow. It might not be your interpretation, but faith was the reason for her dress.

I don’t wear a cross, but I often think of people who do. Some people wear a cross yet, don’t go to church or profess faith in Christ. Some wear very beautiful crosses, but rarely consider the pain and torture behind the symbol. Still, for others, it is a symbol of power and authority, both on earth and in heaven. What does a cross mean to you?

I wear my cross on my heart. It informs every decision I make. This cross often makes the world seem as complex as a New York City Subway map. The confusion leads me to wonder why I ever followed in the first place.

Then, when I need it most, I find a moment of quiet reflection. I pray and am reminded the cross is not supposed to be a burden, but a blessing. An image to remind me I am loved beyond my own understanding. Loved like the Amish woman on the subway train and everyone riding with her.

Click to read Matthew 16: 21-28