AfterWords | Reflections on the Holy Cross

A short read
by Lisa Goddard

When our worship pastor, David, mentioned we were celebrating Holy Cross Day this past Sunday, my initial thought was that Holy Cross was the name of the hospital where I took on my first full-time job 47 years ago. I worked in the public relations department of Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. At the time, the only significance the words Holy Cross had for me was a reference to my workplace.

Five years later, while I no longer worked at that hospital, the words Holy Cross again held meaning for me, but primarily because our first daughter was born at that same hospital. Three years after that, our second daughter came into this world at that same place. By that time, the words Holy Cross had started to take on new context for me as I had recently accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I had begun to understand the magnitude of the impact of the true holy cross on my life.

Since then, I never really gave much thought to a correlation, but reflecting back, I see some symbolism in my first experience with the words Holy Cross and how I now look at and feel about them. My first job out of college represented a new beginning… being on my own, providing for myself, learning how to function in a workplace. The births of both of our daughters also signified new beginnings… adjusting to being a parent, balancing the roles of mom, wife and, at that time, freelance writer. As a “newly minted” Christian, the words Holy Cross were amplified as I began to more deeply grasp and take to heart what Jesus did for me on the cross, another new beginning.

As Jordan spoke about the power of the cross to transform our hearts and minds, God tapped me on the shoulder during Sunday service and asked if I needed another fresh start. Several desolating events of recent weeks—a school shooting in Colorado, the remembrance of 9/11, the senseless killing of an innocent Ukrainian woman, Iryna Zarutska, on a Charlotte train and the slaying of political activist Charlie Kirk—have left me feeling extremely sad and heavy hearted, but at times also angry, judgmental and filled with negative thoughts. I was reminded, through scripture, that the only answer to dealing with the impact of hurt, violence and divisiveness is to look to the holy cross. The cross serves as a reminder of the kind of lives we are to live as Christians—selfless, humble, serving, kind, loving, peaceful—the list could go on.

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. Romans 6:6

While the cross was initially a symbol of death and torture, it was ultimately transformed into a beacon of hope, life and transformation through Christ’s sacrifice and redemption. I’m a fallible human being, and I’m called to rid myself of what Jordan called the poison within me, repent of spreading that poison and hold it up to the cross. I must remember that to live fully, I must die to myself and trust in Jesus’ eternal promise.

I pray that we all may take a fresh new look at the holy cross, reminding ourselves of the great sacrifice and immeasurable love reflected there, and live our lives accordingly.