In China the authorities tear down crosses from churches and imprisons pastors who protest. In the Middle East Christians are persecuted just because they are Christians. Recently a Catholic priest was stabbed to death in France.
When now a number of Swedish Lutheran priests wish to show solidarity with persecuted Christians by openly bearing a cross in their necklace, they are criticized for being provocative, not the least to muslims.
During World War II the Danish King, Christian X, bore a Star of David on his chest out of solidarity with his Danish Jewish subjects and co-citizens. He did so while Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany. Provoking? Most certainly for the Nazis. But today we find it a heroic action.
After the attack on the gay club in Orlando, people put rainbows on their Facebook and Instagram accounts. Provoking for a secularist? Obviously not! But the cross provokes! Obviously! Or is it just the secularized society that just wants to get rid of what it does not accept itself?
Terrorists are not only provoked by crosses. They are provoked by anything they find immoral as promiscuity, drunkenness, Hollywood, MTV, american and russian bombs, all in a huge, crazy mix, which they connect to christian countries and the cross.
Now I don't wear a cross, but do seriously think about getting one. But it will not serve as a symbol against someone or something, except possibly the sin in my own life. That is the reason why Christians wear crosses, they show that they belong to someone who was crucified for their sake.
In Rembrandt's famous painting of the crucifixion, he himself is depicted while he is raising up the cross and the crucified Christ. He has understood what had nailed Jesus to the cross, namely Rembrandt's own sin, which now would be redeemed. The cross is therefore the message of God's everlasting love. To wear it is a show of thankfulness. Provoking?
