| Cross purpose: Christians rejoice, disagree To Catholics, symbol conveys suffering; Protestants choose to focus on Resurrection 04/13/2001 By Susan Hogan/Albach / The Dallas Morning News
There will be incense and candles. There will be an image of the crucified Jesus. And there will be the image of Jesus taken down from the cross and wrapped in a shroud.
This somber drama, known as the "un-nailing," is part of the afternoon Good Friday service at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in North Dallas. It's a day in which Christians fix their gaze most intently on the cross.
Ever since Jesus' crucifixion, the cross has been the most enduring symbol of the Christian faith. It's found atop steeples, in sanctuaries and in homes. Some are plain, others are ornate, but all convey the same meaning: victory over death.
"The victory of the cross comes not from Jesus' death, but from his resurrection," said the Rev. Anthony Savas, assistant priest at Holy Trinity. Christians will celebrate their belief in Jesus' resurrection on Easter, which is Sunday.
Crosses and crucifixes – crosses with an image of the crucified Jesus – are hot sellers in Christian bookstores this time of year. A wall at Catholic Art and Gifts in Dallas displays brown, blue and even pink crucifixes.
On one, there's a glimmering halo around Jesus' head. On another, blood drips from underneath a crown of thorns. Workers said there's no way to overstate what the images mean to believers.
"It's not just an instrument of death," George Lewis said. "It's a symbol of new life."
Barbara Edwards said she wears a cross necklace as a reminder of God's love.
"I sleep with it, and I shower with it," said the diaconal minister at Walnut Hill United Methodist Church in northwest Dallas. "I only take it off for X-rays."
Catholics say they prefer crucifixes to remind them of the depth of God's love. Protestants prefer crosses without a body to emphasize the Resurrection. Orthodox have icons that depict the crucifixion but prefer plain crosses to wear as jewelry.
The debate over which is better sometimes gets contentious. Historically, Christians have used each to reflect their belief that God's son died for their sins.
Barbara Ellwanger dislikes the image of Jesus suffering on a crucifix.
"I prefer to rejoice than to feel guilty," said Ms. Ellwanger, who attends King of Glory Lutheran Church in North Dallas.
In looking at crucifixes, Protestants sometimes accuse Catholics of being fixated on Jesus' suffering. Catholics, in turn, point to plain crosses and accuse Protestants of wanting glory without suffering.
"We're not resurrected yet, which is why the crucifix is important," said the Rev. Michael Duca, rector of Holy Trinity Catholic Seminary in Irving.
The Rev. Scott Albergate thinks he may have found the middle ground. Hanging in his Episcopal church is a cross with an image of the resurrected Jesus.
"His hands are raised high," said the assistant priest at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Church in Keller. "It's a symbol of victory."
He said the image is a helpful teaching device. Youth often ask him the details of Jesus' crucifixion.
"A bare cross just doesn't make it real to them," he said.
The only noticeable cross in the Walnut Hill Church of Christ is mounted to the pulpit. The church says it's cautious about using symbols because the Bible warns against idols.
"The cross is in our hearts and in our minds, but not on our walls," said Mike Meierhofer, the church's minister.
Christians in the first three centuries used crosses for private devotions. But once Christianity was no longer a persecuted religion, the cross became its most visible symbol.
The crucifix became more prominent in the fifth century. Scholars suspect that part of the delay was out of sensitivity to Christians who had had relatives executed by crucifixion.
Over the centuries, artists depicted Jesus' death in countless ways.
During the Middle Ages, crosses were studded with heavy jewels. Irish crosses were intricately geometrical. Baroque art showed Christ suffering – his head cast back, his mouth open in agony.
"When the body is on the cross, we can see and feel Jesus' suffering," said Beatriz Marcias of Dallas, who's Catholic.
A new ruling from the Vatican will soon make a crucifix mandatory in every Catholic sanctuary. Until that happens, some Catholic churches are making crosses more central in worship than crucifixes.
Bells dangle from the slender cross used at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Lewisville. As worship begins, the long, iron cross is placed in a prominent place.
"When I hear the bells, I hear joy," said church member Linda Woosley. "We don't need corpses on all of our crosses. People forget that Jesus is alive and with us today."
For years, plain wooden crosses were most popular in non-Catholic circles. But more and more, Christians are buying ornate crosses that blend in with the décor of their homes.
Last year, evangelical bookstores reported a boom in crosses painted with vines and flowers. Also selling well are matted and framed images of the resurrected Jesus with an accompanying Bible verse.
"It's become a decorative accessory for walls," said Jim Potts, president of Dicksons in Seymour, Ind., one of the country's largest suppliers to Christian bookstores. "People are drawn to colorful, pretty crosses."
But the cross is a mixture of ugliness and beauty, representing death and life, said the Rev. Craig Lawless, assistant pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church in Dallas.
"The crowning victory for Christians is the resurrection," he said. "But without the cross, there would have been no resurrection."
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