You Call Yourself A “Christian” ~ On Crosses

Greetings Dear Reader,

First the reminder that I am not telling anyone else what to do or be.  I am processing this so that I remember what I must be if I call myself a Christ follower.  My Grandfather spent time as a circuit preacher after he retired.  He would go to four different churches in a month.  They were all small. 

One of the things he used to say was, “In Jerusalem in the first century, when you saw a man carrying a cross, you said, ‘There goes a dead man.’”    Luke reports Jesus as saying, “He said to all of them, ‘Those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses every day, and follow me.’”

We will get to the “denying of self” part tomorrow.  Those who wish to follow Christ must be the walking dead.  Let that sink in for a moment.  I must be willing to at least metaphorically if not possibly physically carry a cross with Christ.  The idea is that of all the injustice accepted, pride not grasped, power set aside, and humility embodied for the Son of God to be willing to die. 

That is what I must be willing to emulate as much as a human can if I am to follow Christ.  I am going to end each post on this with the same king of thought.  If you see me or any Christ follower who is not willing to “take up his cross” then he is not willing to follow.   Hold us accountable just as we are supposed to hold each other accountable.

I must be this in every moment.  I must do so with humility and love.  I must not fail to follow in the hardest things if I hope to truly follow in anything.  I am not there, but that is why I process all of this.  What do you think Dear Reader?

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)