A peculiar uncertainty and victory of the cross

Galatians 6:14-18

                Today I celebrate with the rest of the Episcopal Church, Holy Cross Day.  The cross represents suffering and victory to Christian believers.

                My life and my hope are inextricably connected to the cross. The cross of my faith in Jesus as my Lord and savior. That would be pretty obvious, almost as if out of a catechism. But the cross represents so much more. Perhaps it is why I have amassed such a collection of crosses that periodically emblazoned my chest. It represents a yearning of my entire being to be one with the cross.

                  Another connection is the cross of suffering. We all have our share of suffering. I have suffered with the illness and death of parents and friends as many of us do.  I suffered with the pains of a peculiar uncertainty, an undefined void in my life, a hole that I could not identify for 50 years. That emptiness of not knowing who or what I was. I could fill my life with Christ, which I did. The void remained and then the time had come to fill in the gaps in my life. That gap was that I was gay. The discomfort or suffering of not knowing, suppressing or whatever, while not anywhere near as bad as the suffering of our Lord, was what held me hostage all my life. That pain of not knowing, and the joy of knowing I am gay was part the cross I had to bear and then the joy of the cross as well.

                The cross is also a constant reminder of how we change. What was a sign of punishment, shame and intimidation is now our sign of victory, resurrection and new life. How much of life is like this? What seems bad we turn around to newness. We might say simplistically, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

                So the cross unites us with the suffering of Christ and the life we live and some of the crosses that we must bear. The cross also unites us with the victory of Christ in overcoming trials and knowing God stands by our side in all things and at all times. 

May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.