The Cross of Christ: The Unsung Religious Monument

The cross of Christ among us can be compared with the four Ms of an organisational life. An organisation begins from some insights of a Man (sic), it becomes a Movement when some likeminded fellows join it. It then functions like a Machine when each functionary works like an automatic routine without life and without much consciousness of the purpose. It finally becomes a Monument, lamented upon by the visitors how it was active and productive. The cross of Christ which was picked up by Jesus gathered followers, continues to move people globally remains monumental relic today. This happens in Nagaland too. Though it was picked up enthusiastically the cross remains in the archive of people’s lives and not expressed through daily living.

When someone reads that the cross of Christ among us is unsung the simple minded reader may be taken aback exclaiming, “Of course we sing of the Cross so much besides wearing it as ornament!” The person may add, “ I not only sing of it or wear it but am ready to be crucified if the anti-Christ comes and asks me whether I choose death, or living by denouncing Christ”. Adding the sense of Naga humour, the speaker adds. “However, I wish the rapture comes before I face such an extreme test”. We forget that bearing cross means living it out, not just believing in it or wearing it, not just hoisting it on top of every high place! We see some many crosses on the high places of Nagaland also. We say our land is for Christ but why not also for the Cross of Christ? When we say Nagaland belongs to Christ we postulate the Nagas are cross bearers complying with the invitation of Christ to take up our crosses and follow him. Everyday should be lived in such a way that we share some amount of the pain, suffering and loss Christ faced. Every thought, speech and action should be in line with the way Christ responded to the environment through his impulse, words and action.

When a true cross bearer like Dietrich Bonheoffer, the German Theologian maintained, ”Salvation is free but discipleship is costly” many people would choose the first phrase (salvation, that is free) rather than the second (discipleship, that is cross bearing).We yearn for salvation but wish away the life of discipleship. We forget that salvation leads to rigorous life of discipleship, not imposed by Christ but as our expression of gratitude, living out the fact of our lives in Christ.

Many of our people are simple thinkers, lovers of what is rewarding and lucrative. We want to have what is good and pleasing even in matters of faith and spirituality. If it can be bought or procured through the shortest means we would have asked Christ to favour us by such approach, or directly ask Christ to assure us seats at his right and left hands like James and John did (Mk.10:35-40). Matthew tells us that it was their mother who went to Jesus to book seats for her sons (Mt.20:20ff).By the way these two disciples had also asked Christ if they would be permitted to burn down the Samaritan villages on the simple reason the Samaritans refused to listen to Christ. (Lk.9:54).Jesus Christ replied to these two brothers who wanted to book status in heaven that the Father alone will allocate such positions. On being asked by Jesus if they could drink the cup he drank these two brothers had replied, “We are able”. By this promise they entered the way of the cross culminating their lives of discipleship by martyrdom. Jesus did not chose holy men first. He chose those who could be called “satan” (Mk.8:33, ti Peter) and those who could be called “sons of thunder”(Mk.3:17, to James and John)  and moulded them in such a way that they voluntarily became martyrs for him and the gospel. There lies the beauty of a leader’s character.