Virtue signaling, trendiness, and superstition aside, I decided to hang a wooden cross from the rear-view mirror in my truck. Seeing as how that’s the place where it’s easiest for my flesh to get a foothold, dealing with heavy traffic, being cut off, avoiding near collisions etc., the cross hanging there reminds me of Whose I am, and to recall the words of Philippians 1:27 - “only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Unfortunately, there are times when I don’t submit in this.
It seems as if the net outcome of all this cross-wearing is likely to be confusion, and a dilution of the meaning of the cross. Also, shouldn't Mormons more properly wear "gold tablet" jewelry?
But, mainly, THIS:
"I can’t believe Ms. Bondi is 59. How very well preserved she is."
À beau I liked gave me a cross, with a diamond. List the diamond, when I felt I lost him, and this felt like a curse.
I got the stone replaced with my parents help, and wore it as an RN, because being followed every day, told to let people ask about one’s faith, I wanted my patients to know my kindness comes from Jesus Christ.
My husband (then to be?—or after we married ?) gave me another. It’s lovely. I have worn it almost all the time, because some religious people don’t like it, and I’m afraid they’ll steal it. Already another he gave me went missing. Be nice to change colors now and then, but.
I worked at a school where I was given a rosary. Hung it in the car to be reminded to pray. After a while, I tend to forget it—except sometimes.
Learned as a kid: if I’m going to bear the name of little Christ—(Christian), I need to act like Him, so pray to, and take this seriously, so people can see Him, in me. Otherwise, “taking His name in vain”, I was taught.
Mostly am sad when I’m angry, or I or other Christians forget mercy and forgiveness as you mentioned.
Maybe it’s just too early in the day for me to be reading this, but I’m wondering if there’s a word left out of this sentence? Like, does the word “not“ belong in this sentence somewhere? “Jesus offered his body and blood as bread and wine so that we would spiritually perish through this mortal howling wilderness.”
The trove of art that accompanies your essays is tremendous. These are wonders I have never seen or appreciated before. I'm so grateful. Thank you for referencing Karine Jean-Pierre's style. She rocks the commanding and complementary colours. Speaking of fashion statements, how is your mother-of-the-groom ensemble coming together?
I must admit to immediate distrust when I see a cross dangling from somebody’s neck, and perhaps it’s simply a hangover from the early 90’s when everybody was sporting those ghastly WWJD wristbands next to their myriad friendship bracelets. Don’t get me wrong. I like talismans, and even a certain amount of religious kitsch, and perhaps even crosses worn as a fashion statement, and if I’m being honest, it’s when folks say something earnest about why they wear a cross, that really makes me feel a little queasy. I know that’s just the Protestant outpatient in me being hyper judgmental, or the proliferation of shirts like The Lord’s Gym, or people sporting Micah 6:8 on T-Shirts and ball caps, but again, it’s more that it all feels so completely cliche. And again, I get it, I’m judgmental, but the superficial nature of the article in The NY Times just feels like an outcropping of a superficial view of the Cross within our culture at large. Also. It makes me realize that one of the words on my hit list this year is “meaningful.”
How odd that the NYT writer failed to mention that the wearing of crosses wasn't really a thing until all the people who had witnessed a real crucifixion had perished from the earth (at least, that's what I've been taught). The sight of crosses was apparently a bit too "triggering", as we put it now.
Virtue signaling, trendiness, and superstition aside, I decided to hang a wooden cross from the rear-view mirror in my truck. Seeing as how that’s the place where it’s easiest for my flesh to get a foothold, dealing with heavy traffic, being cut off, avoiding near collisions etc., the cross hanging there reminds me of Whose I am, and to recall the words of Philippians 1:27 - “only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ . . .”. Unfortunately, there are times when I don’t submit in this.
It seems as if the net outcome of all this cross-wearing is likely to be confusion, and a dilution of the meaning of the cross. Also, shouldn't Mormons more properly wear "gold tablet" jewelry?
But, mainly, THIS:
"I can’t believe Ms. Bondi is 59. How very well preserved she is."
"Imagine all the people, just to try to co-opt the zeitgeist, living for Jesus. You can say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one." Hahaha!
I loved that too
I’m waiting for the Luther Rose to become trendy. Might be a long time.
À beau I liked gave me a cross, with a diamond. List the diamond, when I felt I lost him, and this felt like a curse.
I got the stone replaced with my parents help, and wore it as an RN, because being followed every day, told to let people ask about one’s faith, I wanted my patients to know my kindness comes from Jesus Christ.
My husband (then to be?—or after we married ?) gave me another. It’s lovely. I have worn it almost all the time, because some religious people don’t like it, and I’m afraid they’ll steal it. Already another he gave me went missing. Be nice to change colors now and then, but.
I worked at a school where I was given a rosary. Hung it in the car to be reminded to pray. After a while, I tend to forget it—except sometimes.
Learned as a kid: if I’m going to bear the name of little Christ—(Christian), I need to act like Him, so pray to, and take this seriously, so people can see Him, in me. Otherwise, “taking His name in vain”, I was taught.
Mostly am sad when I’m angry, or I or other Christians forget mercy and forgiveness as you mentioned.
The LDS must be getting lax in their training if those young women don't realize that the cross is anti-thetical to Mormon doctrine.
That was my thought also.
Maybe it’s just too early in the day for me to be reading this, but I’m wondering if there’s a word left out of this sentence? Like, does the word “not“ belong in this sentence somewhere? “Jesus offered his body and blood as bread and wine so that we would spiritually perish through this mortal howling wilderness.”
She has obviously never looked at the jewelry that hip hop singers wear if she thinks this is new.
Worry some misrepresent me. This is very annoying. They must be afraid.
The trove of art that accompanies your essays is tremendous. These are wonders I have never seen or appreciated before. I'm so grateful. Thank you for referencing Karine Jean-Pierre's style. She rocks the commanding and complementary colours. Speaking of fashion statements, how is your mother-of-the-groom ensemble coming together?
I must admit to immediate distrust when I see a cross dangling from somebody’s neck, and perhaps it’s simply a hangover from the early 90’s when everybody was sporting those ghastly WWJD wristbands next to their myriad friendship bracelets. Don’t get me wrong. I like talismans, and even a certain amount of religious kitsch, and perhaps even crosses worn as a fashion statement, and if I’m being honest, it’s when folks say something earnest about why they wear a cross, that really makes me feel a little queasy. I know that’s just the Protestant outpatient in me being hyper judgmental, or the proliferation of shirts like The Lord’s Gym, or people sporting Micah 6:8 on T-Shirts and ball caps, but again, it’s more that it all feels so completely cliche. And again, I get it, I’m judgmental, but the superficial nature of the article in The NY Times just feels like an outcropping of a superficial view of the Cross within our culture at large. Also. It makes me realize that one of the words on my hit list this year is “meaningful.”
I used to have a cool "God's Gym" t-shirt, patterned after the more well known "Gold's Gym". I think my wife threw it out sometime in the 1990s.
I hope you thank God every day for your wise and judicious wife.
Pam Bondi never had children.
I'm not familiar with the Church of Latter Day Saints. Why does Anne consider it to be illegitimate?
AKA, Mormonism. A heretical cult founded by con-artist Joseph Smith.
Mormons deny the Trinity
How odd that the NYT writer failed to mention that the wearing of crosses wasn't really a thing until all the people who had witnessed a real crucifixion had perished from the earth (at least, that's what I've been taught). The sight of crosses was apparently a bit too "triggering", as we put it now.