I slug down the coffee I brought with me and drive past the church and see Christine's car parked there. I drive by, the tires hiss over the wet pavement as I head home to continue writing this. The dogs don't move when I come in, and I'm back at it. The Cross as a Symbol of Defeat. Our culture is not about defeat.
Some churches conscientiously refuse to have crosses on the premises.
The cross is an embarrassment. We are not about pain, defeat and losing. The cross is a messy symbol, and a blood-streaked reality. We like winning. We like success.