So I’ll Cherish the Old Rugged Cross
“The very word ‘cross’ should be far removed not only from the person of a Roman citizen but from his thoughts, his eyes, and his ears.”-(Cicero, Pro Rabirio Perduellionis Reo 16)
“Everything about the practice of nailing a man to a cross – a ‘crux’ – was repellent… It was this disgust that crucifixion uniquely inspired…”-Holland, Dominion (7)
Jesus said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross (execution stake) and follow me.For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”— Mark 8:34–35
“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”–Colossians 2:15
“A new sort of power will be let loose upon the world, and it will be the power of self-giving love. This is the heart of the revolution that was launched on Good Friday.”-N.T. Wright, The Day the Revolution Began:
Tom Holland’s text Dominion is a powerful reminder of the way that the cross of Jesus has transformed Western culture and our values on compassion, justice, and dignity. It can be easy to forget how despised the concept of humility was in the Roman Empire, and Holland’s book draws out this contrast. In Roman Culture, humilitas meant failure and lowliness, things to be avoided at all costs. It brought shame on yourself, your family, and your community. Thus, the method of execution by crucifixion was particularly shameful and used as a punishment for rebels in the Empire.
But the death of Jesus and the early Christians transformed and laid the groundwork for the reversal of humilitas as something to be embraced and not scorned. The early Christians pursued service, not status, humility instead of authority, all shaped by the power of the cross.
Holland’s book Dominion overviews the many ways in which Christianity provided the roots and foundation of the Western world. Even with all of its faults and failings, Holland reminds us that the values of Christ are still at the foundation of the Western World. The power of the cross is worthy of reclaiming in a world that still seeks after power and status today.
But what was most interesting to me in Holland’s book was his story of South Africa and the apartheid movement. I was drawn to this, of course, because of our upcoming visit to South Africa and was fascinated by his assessment of how the Gospel that was brought by colonizers would ultimately be the undoing of apartheid. Holland states, “The same faith that had inspired Afrikaners to imagine themselves a chosen people was also, in the long run, what had doomed their supremacy…it was Christianity that had provided the colonised and the enslaved with their surest voice. The paradox was profound.” (487-488).
The point I am trying to make by connecting these concepts in Holland is this: the same paradox that undid Rome also undid apartheid — the cross always unravels human systems of domination. The very gospel once wielded to justify power became the cry of the oppressed, because the cross never serves empire for long — it always topples it. It is fascinating to me how empires and kingdoms throughout the Western world have wielded the Gospel to attempt to subjugate and enslave people groups through religious indoctrination and abuse. This is emphatically wrong. But the Gospel continues to persist, undoing the very thing that the oppressor thinks they are wielding it for.
The cross stands as the greatest transformative moment in human history. It is the day the revolution began. When Rome used it as a force for shame, God used it to save the world. Instead of a symbol of intimidation, it is now a symbol of liberation. Holland helps us see that this paradox has not only shaped the church but has reverberated through centuries, unraveling systems of domination from Caesar’s empire to apartheid South Africa.
The scandal of the cross is that it cannot be contained or co-opted for long. When pressed into the service of power, it eventually turns against its captors. When dismissed as weakness, it reemerges as the deepest kind of strength. The very thing Cicero called unthinkable has become, in Christ, the unshakable foundation of hope.
This week, an outspoken, conservative influencer was shot on a college campus. The brokenness of our world and the violence that the Enemy uses to divide us is still raging in the Western World. Followers of Jesus have an option to be consumed by hatred, division, rage and bitterness. I think Jesus invites us to pick up the cross, today, and follow Him.
And so, we are left with this question: if the cross has undone empires, what might it undo in us?
About the Author
Ryan Thorson
Follower of Jesus. Husband. Father. Pastor. Coach. I am passionate about helping people discover the gift of Sabbath and slow down spirituality in the context of our busy world.11 responses to “So I’ll Cherish the Old Rugged Cross”
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Thanks for your great post, Ryan. The shooting this week was senseless and sad. Yet both sides are using it to promote their brand of politics.
On a social media post, someone called Charlie Kirk a modern-day Stephen, equating him with the martyrdom of the early church leader.
On another post, someone else seemed to be justifying his death because he supported gun ownership.
It’s all madness.
How does one who has been shaped by the cross lead in this cultural moment?
Thanks Graham. I think forgiveness and peace are what we pivot to as a cruceform leader. The cross is the place where we all remember that the evil out there is also the evil inside us and we need a savior who forgives. Our hearts ought to break at the violence not try to explain it away or justify it. Our minds ought to see this moment as an opportunity for reconciliation and healing, not allow division, fear and tribalism to overtake us.
Hi Ryan, I appreciate your focus on the paradox of the cross. It wouldn’t make sense to a non-Christian. Do you ever notice Christians today exercise the bravery that Jesus and many martyrs had so long ago? If so, what might it look like and even more so, what could it cost them?
I think a lot of that goes unnoticed by media and the masses. But I see it everyday in the lives of the people I know who empower others, serve people selflessly, forgive those who persecute them and seek to be the hands and feet of Jesus. It costs them popularity, money, time, energy, acclaim, it costs them their life. “but whoever loses their life for my sake and the gospel’s will surely find it.”-Jesus
Thank, Mr. Ryan, for the wonderful and inspiring post. I like how you pointed out how Jesus’ ‘cross’ changed and influence how we live then and now. Indeed, we will all cherish the old rugged cross. I haven’t really thought of this, but I how do the ‘cross’ shaped leadership then that has affected the way we look at leadership now. Thank you again, Ryan.
Yes Noel. In a world that is focused on status, power and acclaim, the downward trajectory of a cruceform life is ultimately our pattern for leadership.
Ryan, Great blog. I really appreciated your perspective on how the cross does undo earthly powers. Your blog title is my favorite hymn from my childhood. As I think about your final question, I am reminded of the end of the chorus “So I’ll cling to the Old Rugged Cross, and exchange it one day for a crown.” The Cross can undo lies, cultural trends, unbeliefs and my own self-doubts for eternal gain.
Amen sister! I really like the book, “The Day the Revolution Began,” by N.T. Wright. We like the triumphalism of the empty tomb (Jesus escaped…we win!) But Wright reminds us that theologically, it was the cross where God won the victory and the empty tomb was vindication that the victory had been won already! That shifts how we see those two events. The cross is where victory lies.
Ryan,
I appreciate your comment “The cross never serves empire for long — it always topples it. It is fascinating to me how empires and kingdoms throughout the Western world have wielded the Gospel to attempt to subjugate and enslave people groups through religious indoctrination and abuse. This is emphatically wrong. But the Gospel continues to persist, undoing the very thing that the oppressor thinks they are wielding it for.
In a class I teach I talk about social biases and how they are present throughout history, even present throughout the Bible. I then talk about the New Testament and how Jesus displayed an indifference toward any social bias, conversing and healing whomever he wanted. But then I play a clip of MLK Jr. talking about how the 11:00 hour is the most segregated hour in America and ask how we got from Jesus to MLK Jr’s comment and bring the church’s alliance with government. But you are correct despite the church and Christianity being used to forward self-seeking endeavors, the empires are inevitably toppled by the same faith it used for its gain.
I am wondering if you see any of that going on today in the US. Are our leaders seeking to use Christianity to push along a self-serving agenda, such as remaining in power, to the detriment of Jesus’ command to Love our neighbor?
Hey Jeff. Yes, I see a lot that today. Too much to name 🙂 For me, the humble leadership book coupled with this concept is important. “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it…”-Jesus
Hi Ryan, thanks for your post. As the cross can topple systems of domination, how do you think the church needs to modify it’s own posture toward power and influence today?