Searching the Cross of Christ for Truth

May 2, 2007

Joel Akin

1Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

 I'm happy spring is here with temperatures in the double digits even if nights are still cool. It means the trees are budding and life is being restored after a very long and hard winter. And yet if I had a sign of things to come it might have been the tree outside our home. I am always on the lookout for unusual things in nature and one day several weeks ago I was staring at the tree our our living room window. The tree has been there since we moved in about five or so years ago. I am afraid I can't tell you the name of the tree but there was a very small branch I watched. For at the end of it there was a cross. And next to the tiny little cross was what appeared to my imagination to be a man staring up at the cross. It inspired me so much I watched it day by day by day.

 Then yesterday I noticed the most amazing thing. The horizontal part of the cross appeared to be in bud. And I thought "What does that mean?" For if the cross was dead and yet it came to life then maybe there was something in the cross which was the power of God unto life. For if we who are a man can stand there near the cross and stare at these things as a witness, even on a small scale, then that man represents me. For I am a witness of these small events taking place outside the window. Even though I see through a glass and sometimes darkly, yet I see with eyes that search for signs in the tiniest things. For I have learned they are there. And I don't claim that these signs will impress the skeptics. They would first ask for proof that it really did seem to look like a cross and once they saw it they would laugh and say it is just your imagination.

So I thought "Why not take a picture?" And I went out with a ladder to try and find that tiny cross and that man staring up at the cross. And as I lined up the ladder and took out the camera I saw with some chagrin that both the cross and the man had become buds which were bursting forth with leaves. And I thought "I can't get the picture" because the shape of things was changed.

 And if the shape of things had changed then the shape of the cross had gone from the horizontal to almost the vertical as in hands that were lifted up to heaven. And I became a witness of these things for I too bore the sign of life.

And if I can learn a lesson from scripture it is that Jesus told each one of us to bear our own cross. We saw it not as a blessing. Few did. And if we did we saw it as a blessing to have Jesus. But what if this illustration is of God? What if God is trying to help us understand that there is power in the cross. And if there is power in the cross of Jesus then there is power in the cross that God gives each one of us. And if we take that cross and hold it up to God he will take it and instill life in it. So that it blossoms and it carries life and eventually it bears life for those who are part of us. And that is what we can call the green ball of life. For all things are meant to be healed and all people are meant to be set free.

And if we can but hang on to the cross then we can cling to the hem of the garment when Jesus passes by. For if the hem is of the trim and the trim is of the hem then maybe we are woven into it so we no longer need to fight our way through a crowd of people just to touch the hem of the garment of Christ.

Now I know this isn't all complete but it is enough. So remember to search for God has little signs for all of us. Some are of the cross and some are things we see in nature. And some are from people who speak things which amaze. Just remember God is with us and with you in all things. In that is the hope of life. Not just for the cross but for the man standing in awe observing the things which God has made.