Shiloh Baptist Church

Have you ever walked into a room, and knew immediately that just by your presence, something had changed? If nothing else, there was something about you that stood out or at least drew attention to you in a way that you were not expecting. Do not get me wrong! Sometimes, we walk into a room intending to get the attention of others. It could be a stunning outfit, a new hat; a pair of shoes, or even the fragrance you are wearing, that catches the eye of someone. By design. But then there are those times, when you just “happened” into the room, and got the “side-eye,” from your head down to your feet, unexpectedly. And it is a look that does a double-take, with an implied, but unspoken question. It is like somebody once said, “If looks could kill….” Admittedly, there are times when you cannot control your expression when you see something out of the ordinary. I have that kind of face, i.e., your eyebrows may go up a bit; or your eyes may bulge a little, or maybe it is just a quick glance and a settled, unasked question, that does not require an answer, but beckons for one.

Anyway, for this past Christmas, my underwriting manager [at work] gave me a gift, instead of a gift card, in a small gift bag, much like a gift card. I assumed it was a gift card, so I did not hurry to open it. Honestly, it stayed on my dining room table long after Christmas, before I looked inside and saw that it was a Cross on a beaded necklace. Opening it, I thought how cute, but also noted that I would probably never wear it, so I just put it aside. But one morning on my way out to work, I happened to pick it up from where it had been for a few months now and decided to try it on. “Not bad!” I thought. “Really cute!” and I wore it to work. My underwriting manager knows that I am a Christian, but I did not want to give her too much credit in her selection of the gift for me. I do not know what she gave anybody else, but that she gave me a Cross was indicative that she thought it was an appropriate gift for me. It is well-known in my office that I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. But when I walked into the office that day one person, in particular, gave me that “look” that I spoke about earlier. I saw it, but I was not sure what the “look,” meant. So, I quickly addressed myself. Patted my hair to make sure it was okay. My hair often does what it wants, so I have to check it often. Checked my shoes to make sure they were okay. Checked my clothing to make sure I had not worn something stained. My clothes often eat when I do. But as far as I could tell, all was in order. I looked pretty good, and I had not given any thought to the Cross around my neck until I heard a subtle comment about the Cross. It was not spoken to me but was rather an overt statement. He obviously noticed it, and that it was something that I do not always wear to work. It was not quite an insult, but the subtle comment that he made about anti-Semitism let me know that he was offended, by the Cross. I looked it up, and Anti-Semitism is defined as the belief or behavior hostile towards Jews just because they are Jewish. It may take the form of religious teachings that proclaim the inferiority of Jews, for instance, or political efforts to isolate, oppress, or otherwise injure them.

It may also include prejudicial or stereotypical views about Jews. I do not know how, but it was apparent to me that I had made a statement, without saying a word. And what I had not said spoke volumes. Flesh & Blood did not reveal that to me, but when I realized it, I pondered it. “Should I take it off?” I actually thought about taking it off, but more importantly, I wondered, “Why is the Cross so offensive?” Here, let me digress, and tell you that later that morning, I went out to the ladies’ room. While there, I passed a gentleman in the hallway, a young man wearing pajama pants. At work. I must admit I gave him the “side-eye.” I may have judged him because it seemed inappropriate wear for the workplace, but I was not offended. Was my Cross inappropriate wear for the office? And, if it was offensive to my Jewish friend, why? Does the declaration of our faith offend others who are not of the same faith? Does it even offend those who are of the same faith? I realize that I can believe what I believe about Jesus Christ; the pure and absolute gospel, that which is preached and taught and not say a word, and maybe no one will be offended. But for sure, no one will hear it or know that I believe it. Especially, if I keep it to myself. But if I express my belief, whether by spoken word, behavior or simply by wearing a piece of costume jewelry, in the form of a cross, I open myself up to the same biases of anti-Semitism. It is really a reversed “prejudice” if you ask me. But I think the cross is offensive because it represents the Righteousness of God and the self-righteousness of man. I think it represents the Power and Ability of God, and the insufficiency and inability of man. But the boldness of the Cross invites persecution, and who among us wants to be persecuted for anything- let alone our faith.

Lest you think I am overstating this “issue,” I am reminded of a message from our guest preacher who came all the way from West Virginia not too long ago, and talked about Peter, who declared to Jesus Himself, that he would never forsake him, and then denied him three times. The preacher said Peter repeatedly used the wrong pronoun in declaring his faithfulness to Jesus, with pledged reference more to himself than to Jesus. The preacher said, he used too much “I”, to “Him!” To me, that is a classic example of what we are saying to the world when we do not take a stand for Christ. By not taking a stand for Him, we put ourselves ahead of Him, or at least on the same playing field. When we hide our crosses, we are hiding from persecution. We are hiding from our identity in, and with Christ, and why? for safety’s sake. Christians are persecuted all across this land today, much like in Jesus’ times. Crosses are burned. Bibles are burned. Churches are bombed, but the Word of God will stand forever. We are commanded in the Bible to take up our cross daily and to follow Christ, but instead, are we Christians in hiding? I know lots of people who wear a Cross. And I do not know if it is symbolic of their faith or a declaration of belief in Jesus, or not. But if it is, I wonder what it would take for them to take it off. Would a side-eye look, or a loud proclamation of a non-believer be all that it takes?

 Submitted By Deaconess Irene Gardon