Light as a Feather

 "And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.  For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?  For what can a man give in return for his soul?"

Mark 8:34-37 (ESV)

There is a lot packed in these four verses from Mark. What stands out to me most through all this talk about losing or gaining our lives and our souls, is in verse 34 where we are told to “take up your cross”. This is an instruction I have heard many times through the church, but what does it mean to take up your cross?

To me, taking up our cross is choosing to be a Christian everyday. The conscious effort to treat people a certain way, to rely on God, and to think about Him in our actions, decisions, and thoughts. It’s choosing to remember the love and grace that you have from God, and extending that love and grace outwards.

When I think about this concept, I often imagine a picture similar to the one above. An image of someone arched over with this massive cross leaning onto them. In some ways I like this image. By picturing ourselves carrying the weight of the cross, we see some of Jesus' perspective. We can remember that Jesus took on the weight of the cross for us.

That being said, I also also struggle with this image. The person in this picture is often hunched over, feeling the weight of the cross against their back and arms. You can tell that the cross is heavy, and that dragging it along is draining. We know that physically the cross in the picture is heavy. That being said, how does it affect us emotionally, mentally, or spiritually? When we choose God everyday, when we pick up our cross, does that mean we are carrying a heavy burden with us? Simply put, I don't like this image because it portrays the cross as a heavy burden weighing down on us. In fact, the cross is the exact opposite of that!

The cross is a symbol of Jesus' sacrifice for us. It is a reminder that we don't have to feel guilty or ashamed of our sins. It's a sign of forgiveness, love, grace, and freedom. I don't know about you, but that doesn't sound like a heavy burden to me.

In my head, I still picture this large wooden cross, taller than someone and stretching out wider than their arms reach. However, I picture that person standing tall, not hunched over. Standing tall because the cross is empowering and freeing. I picture a wooden cross that is weightless and easy to carry. Something that may look like this tall heavy thing, but when we truly embrace it... It is light as a feather.

When we take up our cross we are being relieved of the burdens of the world. We can seek comfort in God and in his close presence with us. The cross is not a burden. Rather, the cross is a blessing. When you wake up in the morning, don’t let the burdens of this world weight you down. Instead, take up the cross and let God share the weight of your load.

To read more: Mark 8:31-38 Luke 9: 23-27