So, Does That Cross Mean Anything Special to You?

I wasn't planning on having a theological conversation in the checkout line at Publix.

Actually, I was hoping the cashier would be extremely efficient, scanning my items like they were filming a Red Bull commercial. I needed to get home to my kids, cook dinner, help with homework, and a thousand other chores.

But when I looked up from my phone, I noticed her name tag: Edna.

It's a name I'll never forget, because I used to go to Edna's house as a child when my parents went on dates. She would usually have ten to fifteen kids running around her home, building forts, and hitting each other while she watched The Golden Girls.

If we needed to use the bathroom, she would give us a packet of about fifteen squares. There was no resupplying; the toilet paper rations were final. So, I learned how to tear each square into about four pieces to ensure I never ran out. While it was challenging at the time, I suppose it was an invaluable life lesson on the careful stewardship of my resources.

I don't mean to paint an entirely negative picture: we were safe, warm, well-fed, and generally happy to be playing with other kids our age. Still, I can't recommend rationing toilet paper with kids!

So I couldn't help but say hello, and ask how Edna was doing. While we talked about my strange babysitting story, the cool fall weather, daylight savings time, and whether or not I'd found everything I was looking for, I noticed she was prominently wearing a large silver cross around her neck.

I hesitated. Dod she want to talk about her cross with a random customer who once had a babysitter who rationed toilet paper? The social contract is clear: they scan, you say 'thank you,' everyone is polite, and that's about it.

But I took the risk and asked Edna, "You're wearing a beautiful cross. I'm wondering if it means something special to you?"

She paused and smiled. "Yes, it's a sign of my religious order. I took a year to discern my calling before God, and then made vows of prayer and service. I wear this cross to remind me of who I am."

Edna wasn't scanning items very fast anymore, but I didn't mind. Instead, I wished there was some way we could go sit down and I could listen to the rest of her story.

Unfortunately, the last few items had come to the end of the conveyer belt, the bags were loaded in the cart, and it was time to pay and go. The person behind me was smiling nicely, but I knew they were hoping to get through the line as quickly as I had wanted.

As Edna handed me my receipt, I felt humbled to be in her presence. She stood on her feet for eight hours a day while talking to hundreds of customers and scanning many thousands of items. Not just to get a paycheck, but to fulfill her vows to God. So she wore a cross to remind herself that life was about prayer and service.

In other words, she had consecrated herself to loving God and loving others.

When was the last time we saw someone wearing a cross?

For me, it was yesterday. I saw a clip on social media. It was a politician telling lies while quoting Bible verses and wearing a cross.

In the comments, people were disgusted by the cruelty, mendacity, and hypocrisy of it all. It made me feel embarrassed to call myself a Christian.

And then I met Edna at the grocery store.

Her cross wasn't spiritual decoration, a bumper sticker, or a weapon.

For once, it was an identity statement that matched her life.

In Luke 9, Jesus tells his disciples, "“If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me."

Perhaps every morning, when Edna takes up her cross and puts it around her neck, it reminds her to depend on Jesus and faithfully serve others.

What if we wore the cross the way she did?

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Want to explore this with your friends? These questions will help you grow closer together as you reflect on what the cross means in the ordinary rhythms of life.

ASK:

• Think about your daily routines. What would change if you approached one of them the way Edna serves God as a cashier? What might make it hard to practice the way of the cross in that situation?

• When have you seen someone embody the meaning of the cross in a humble, unexpected way? What made their faith feel authentic to you?

DISCUSS: Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

• What did the cross and crucifixion signify in the ancient world? What has this symbol come to mean today?

• Paul says "the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved" (v.18). Why is the cross foolish to the world? How does Edna's life demonstrate this upside-down wisdom?

• Paul says God chose "what is foolish....what is weak...what is insignificant and despised" to shame the wise. How does this change the way you think about status, success, and significance?

• Jesus told his closest friends they were to "take up your cross daily." What does "daily' mean to you?

DO:

1. Who in your life needs to experience God's love through your care for them? Pray for each other’s friends by name.

2. What would it look like to imitate Edna's example in an ordinary task this week?

3. Check in with each other midweek via text. Ask: "Have you paused, prayed, and slowed down to serve someone?"

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Credit: Photo from Eduardo Soares on Unsplash