As much as Christians should be proud to display their cross,living and practicing as a Christian is what is needed. The cross is a reminder of our Redeemer and the price he paid for our sins, not an advertisement. Actions always speak louder than words. Walk the walk and talk the talk and the rest who truly believe, will follow.
I wear a St. Christopher. Yeah, I KNOW he isn’t a saint, and I should wear a cross instead, but it was a present from my (very Protestant) Mother when I got my first motorbike.
Worn it ever since, 24/7/365 and only taken it off once for a week in 43 years to have it cleaned and the clasp repaired.
It stayed on through two deployments, hospital stays, the works.
It is there. I look at it from time to time and think of my parents. Then I phone them. But most of the time it is simply there, on my neck.
Not really thought about.
You are wise - our faith, whether you are Catholic, Protestant, primitive church, Orthodox requires us to live our faith.
Sometimes that does mean talking about it or displaying it. There are powerful witnesses to the Lord on here. People who have made this newbie feel at home and who discuss our different takes on religion gracefully. A couple who have taken me to the woodshed, in the nicest possible way. A couple who, while we disagree about our methods of worship, are people I am fast considering firm friends.
I have often thought that one of the reasons the Church commanded us to do good works, to our abilities, is to remind us that faith is not something you put on on Sunday (or Saturday, or Friday, or for bible study Wednesday night in a drafty church hall). It is a constant way to remind us to live our faith.
Not just pull it out and look at it sometimes, like my poor but beloved medallion.
This has a much more secular purpose. That Christians behave in a Christian manner is often too invisible to be noticed by others. And this has paved the way for the government to oppress those who are visibly Christians by denying them the “right” to wear a symbol or express their faith in the secular society.
The government is more than happy to proclaim that “Christianity is dying”, so no longer deserves respect or accommodation. But even if on just one day out of the year, many Christians are identifiable, this will collapse that proclamation.
And to do it on a regular basis will change the perspective of the entire nation.
“As much as Christians should be proud to display their cross,living and practicing as a Christian is what is needed. “
One small step at a time good John. We need both, and wearing a cross is the least we can do. The more of us do it on a regular basis the more culturally standard it will become.
Sooner or later folk will start to wonder about the meaning of that little cross, then they will consult the bible.
For now we have the power to influence fashion with our actions and irritate leftist.