A Cross

Exultation of The Cross; John 3:13-17

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through him.

On a trip to the American southwest, we visited a shrine dedicated to a “miraculous event” called El Santuario de Chimayó. This is known as the Shrine of the Holy Dirt. Being an outdoorsy, gardening kind of guy, I could not pass up the opportunity to see “holy dirt.”

The legend of El Santuario de Chimayó, is that on the night of Good Friday in 1810, Don Bernardo Abeyta, a member of the Penitentes, saw a light beaming out of one of the hills near the Santa Cruz River in Chimayo. He went to the spot and saw that the light was coming out of the ground. Digging with his bare hands, he found a Crucifix, which he immediately associated with Our Lord of Esquipulas.

The spot where the crucifix was found has become a popular pilgrimage site, and worshipers take the dirt and pray for healing. Not only is Chimayó known for the miraculous healings, but the hole where the dirt is taken never empties. Since 1810. A miracle indeed.

In the museum on site, we saw numerous crucifix’s, heads of Jesus and paintings of Jesus. All of them depicted Jesus wearing the crown of thorns, profusely bleeding, and in pain. As this is not my custom or preferred image of Jesus, I wondered why. I learned that Hispanics, and the poor in general, often depict Jesus in this macabre way because this makes his pain more relatable to those who have experienced their own forms of suffering due to injustice, poverty, or discrimination.

As a privileged white male, I find it difficult to relate to this level of suffering when I look at a crucifix. It’s no wonder I prefer a crucifix with a risen Jesus. I have not experienced injustice, poverty or discrimination of any significance in my life. Yet, the cross of Jesus still is the centerpiece of my faith walk.

No one is exempt from pain and suffering in this world. Its all part of what makes life, well…life. We all have crosses to bear in one way or another. And to try and avoid the cross is pointless, and, quite frankly, misses the point. We are all given crosses to endure. Those day-to-day burdens that make our existence hard. Maybe it’s discrimination or a jerk of a boss. Maybe it’s a car that keeps breaking down or perhaps its not having enough money to feed your kids. Maybe it’s a family relationship that is hard or maybe it’s being forced to endure continued injustice because of your race, religion or orientation.

But when Jesus says, “pick up your cross and follow me,” he’s not saying I am going to suffer endlessly. Jesus is asking me to accept my challenges the way he accepted his. Fully. Completely. And to remember the resurrection. You see, I believe that after every death on a cross, there will be a resurrection.

The story of Jesus did not end with his death on that cross. The story of Jesus actually began with him crucified. OUR story began with him crucified, because of the resurrection. We are an Easter people. We believe Jesus rose and lives and is active in our lives. That’s what I believe is the whole point of the cross. Death is not the end.

I have died countless times in my life already. I died the many times I hurt people. I died when I was selfish. I died when I was hypocritical. And goodness knows, I will have to die many more times before my life is through. But, thanks be to God, I have had many, many resurrections in my life as well. I am not the person I was 40 years ago. I am not the person I was 20 years ago. And I’m probably not the person I will be in another 10 years. That is because I have experienced resurrection by receiving the mercy of God.

A cross does not have to be a blood-soaked reminder of the suffering of Jesus to make it hard to carry. But everyone has a cross to bear. My job is to help folks carry their cross, when I can, and to always remind them that a resurrection is coming.

Every Day.

© 2025 by Timothy J. Doppel

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