The cross did not prevail Jesus rises from the dead

The 'Thinking Anew' column in today's Irish Times.

Michael Commane
It certainly made for discussion in the staff room. A first year pupil was asked why God became man.

The young boy answered: "God became man to save the world and he very nearly succeeded."

​Tomorrow's feast, the Exaltation of the Cross, may help remind us of the victory of life over death. The cross recalls an horrific event but it's not the end of the story.

​Crucifixes and crosses can become bland items of furniture. We see them displayed in private and public places. Occasionally there is a row about whether or not a crucifix should be allowed be placed on a wall in a hospital, school or public building. The regular suspects fight their corner in the predictable manner.

​Maybe during the solemnness of Holy Week one is forced to concentrate on the cross and the horrific event of the crucifixion. But even that took on a new perspective after 9/11. There was a nervousness about giving any sort of glorification to crucifixion or any of the many forms of martyrdom.

​In tomorrow's Gospel we read: "For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world but that through him the world might be saved." (John 3: 17)

​That surely is a great answer to give to the naysayers and the doom and gloom merchants who try to tell us that this is a place of sorrows and nothing else. The world isn’t always  a great place, but  it's all we know, so we must make the best of it and try to see the presence of God around every corner.

​But right now the world is on tenterhooks. In the last few weeks we have seen the beheading of two American journalists, with threats of more to come. And there have also been beheadings in Saudi Arabia. Three weeks ago Mary Fitzgerald wrote in this newspaper about  the beheaded  journalist James Foley, and also Steven Scotloff.

At that time we believed Steven was still alive, though in captivity. Ms Fitzgerald wrote about how she had advised Steven not to go to Syria and she explained how he could be funny and irreverent in both English and Arabic. He now is dead. Killed by beheading. It seems those who call themselves Islamic State know no boundaries when it comes to brutality.

​And besides all these current flash points, which could easily cause serious world conflagration, there is the world of poverty, disease, famine. Add to that the day-to-day violence we see and hear about on our streets and in our homes. ​It seems never-ending.

​It certainly is a big ask to mention God's name in all of this. It's close to dangerous, almost mocking to mention God's name in this suffering. Is it doing what the Islamic State does? And that makes it so scary.

​Yet, there is such a contradiction in the crucifixion it makes you stop in your step and wonder. The idea of the God Man allowing himself to experience execution in such a manner - the way that criminals were executed at the time. And in the middle of all that suffering and pain, something else happened, something far greater. Jesus rises from the dead. The resurrection of Jesus Christ takes place. The cross is defeated.

​Try to tell that to the millions of people who are in the throes of desperate pain and suffering. It's not easy to get beyond the clichéd iconography of the cross and we need to be extremely careful of those who offer us pat answers. The cross is not the end of things. No wonder that first year pupil was confused by it all.