Freedom to Worship

A Study in Glass and Ice

A crystal cross stands undisturbed on the inside of an eastward-facing window of our home, just above my writing desk.  It has rested there quietly for years, providing a personal venue for thoughtful reflection.

Yesterday morning, the freezing rain of the wintry mix that descended upon Bridgewater turned into an ice storm which coated the entire east side of the house, glazing its windows.

The ice-coated window pane created a vibrant backdrop into which the crystal cross, the glass of the window, the ice, and the ambient light all seemed to meld into a single dimension, one of hope and inspiration.

This, of course is a Christian symbol, reminding followers of this man called Jesus of the impact that his teachings continue to have upon the civilized world.  Yet, he was not a man of Western ideas, but a Jewish person imbued with the culture of the Middle East who, long before the spread of Western Civilization, had his greatest impact upon the people of the Mediterranean basin.

In the Quran, the keystone of Islam, this man called Jesus is noted as one of the great prophets.  But there is a major disconnect between that acknowledgement, and with the current practice of violence and death being perpetrated upon his Christian followers in the Middle East today. 

Media accounts of the past year have underscored the brutality and death being inflicted upon Christians in that region, particularly in Iraq, and recently in Egypt – followed closely by Pakistan and Afghanistan, all of which are presumed allies of the U.S.

As church bombings and individual killings by Islamic extremists persist in those countries, President Obama maintains a public silence on the problem, as has President Bush before him.  No U.S. politician seems to have the fortitude to confront the issue.

Meanwhile, in America, I can still observe and reflect upon the meaning of a Christian cross, calling to mind the man whom the Romans nailed upon it, something that I doubt I could do in peace and security, were I in one of those four countries.