The Cross--Mine, Yours, Ours
"If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself, take up his cross every day, and follow me." ~ Luke 9:23 The title of this blog and the entry are from a book I recently finished called Gathering the Fragments: A Gospel Mosaic by Rev. Edward Farrell. The book is good but this particular chapter was, in my opinion, worth sharing. Here goes and thanks to Rev. Farrell for a chapter that was so important to me. Hope any readers of this blog find it insightful, also. Here goes: The heart of Christianity is a cross, the sign of a love unto death, and beyond into resurrection. I am beginning to understand that there is no way of following Jesus except by undergoing what he underwent. Unless I die, I can never bear fruit. No one in this world can escape suffering, but not all suffering is the cross. Suffering cannot be avoided, but one can escape the cross. The cross must be a choice, a free decision, or it is not the sign of Jesus' love. The cross is a...