“C” = ‘CROSS-THE-DIVIDE’ : ( Spiritual )
– when people are ‘cross’ with God: they have the key to life –
People hurt for all kinds of reasons: Abandoned, Betrayed, Condemned etc. It’s all very natural to experience deep-down pain & anguish & to feel ‘cross’ (i.e. angry) with God.
While the negative & positive ‘play-of-words’ set-out in the (above) sub-title ‘sound’ like a Beatitude, it really seeks to express both the ‘misery’ of a vulnerable psyche & the ‘joy’ of a valid spirituality.
The ‘cross’ isn’t just for people in difficulties (suffering: trials / tribulations / trauma), but is for everyone who aspires to “follow” Jesus, the Christ (i.e. Christians).
We are ‘products’ of two natures: divine (in the clear “image & likeness” of our Creator) & human (in the defaced “image & likeness” of our Fall). Under the influence of divine nature we “walk-with-God”, but, under the rebellion of our human nature we “turn-away-from-God”.
The choices we make in life – having regard to these two conflicting natures – is made manifest in our actual ‘mode-of-living’. If we are unhappy with ‘our life’, we need to undertake a searching & honest assessment of same & answer the question: “Is my particular ‘way-of-life’: right, true & good?”. If it is not, I have to change my ‘attitude / behaviour / whatever’ that is ‘out-of-kilter’ with God’s ‘self-giving’ (i.e. ‘giving-of-self’) reality.
The ‘me’ element (‘self-for-self’) is deep-seated in all human beings. It’s the essence of our ‘fallen-away-from-God’ nature. It’s a mighty foe – as we all know from our many failures – when we attempt to defy or defeat it. What we are trying to do is to get the ‘self’ to subdue the ‘self’. This is, in fact, impossible / a no win situation: ask all the weight-watchers, gamblers, alcoholics etc. who tried with all their ‘human’ might & failed, again & again.
There is one answer, fortunately (or should I say: providentially) for all our troubles. To rise above the ‘horizontal’ (i.e. the way of the world) we have to engage the ‘vertical’ (i.e. the spiritual path). What I am pointing to is the ‘Cross’ of Our Lord, Jesus Christ: the mystery of the inter-section of the vertical with the horizontal.
dealt fully & finally with ‘self’,
the nature from which all our sins (separations) flow”
(Principles of Spiritual Growth by Miles J. Stanford).
Jesus came on earth (sent by the Father) to bring us home (to the Father). Only when our ‘self’ (i.e. our selfish nature) is ‘dead’ can we hope to ‘rise-above’ our human difficulties (i.e. have real-life ‘resurrection’ experiences). This is the No.1 Rule for “followers” of Jesus Christ, who seek to “CROSS-THE-DIVIDE”, & applies to all situations: from ‘daily difficulties’ that cause unease, to ‘lifetime challenges’ that undermine our peace.