There are various accents that the spirituality of the Cross can have. That need not distort the whole truth of the mystery, which necessarily includes the elements of both suffering and deliverance. Whatever the accent of a particular era, the golden thread throughout remains the affirmation of salvation in Christ. It is possible to center on the sorrowful dimension of the Cross to evoke an appreciation of the depth of the love of God in Christ or to inspire a more sensitive compassion for the suffering of the Body of Christ today. These are honorable perspectives. But the preferred point of view of the Crosiers is other. We put the accent on the victory of the Cross. We see the Crucified Lord as the one already risen in his glory. We are moved by the hope that the Cross gives to our world. There is no doubt that the Crosier expressions of the spirituality of the Cross down through the centuries were nuanced. The perspective of Theodore and his companions or of the confreres in the Middle Ages or of the Crosiers of the last century corresponded with their times. And the confreres of the future will certainly choose an accent appropriate to their times. But the Crosier of whatever era will never be satisfied with a preaching of the Cross that does not proclaim its glorious dimenson. « O death, where is your sting ? (1Co. 15 :55).
Without a pole to support the house, it will collapse. (Bakongo)
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