Wearing a Crucifix

I wear a crucifix.

And because I'm a Protestant I often get puzzled questions from people at church.

"Why do you wear a crucifix?"

Because it is a bit strange, this bit of Catholic spirituality in a Protestant context. As we know, Catholics have the body of Jesus hanging on the cross--the crucifix. Protestants tend to display empty crosses.

And one reason for this difference is often inserted into the questions I get asked: "Why do you wear a crucifix? Jesus is no longer on the cross."

I tend to disagree. I think Jesus is very much still on the cross. Everywhere.

Which goes to the reason why I wear a crucifix.

When people at church ask me why I wear a crucifix I have to judge how to respond. In my mind I'm asking, "Would you like to hear a lecture about Girardian theology?" Almost everything about me has a long lecture behind it. It's an occupational hazard. For example, if someone casually asks about my tattoo of Rublev's icon--"Tell me about your tattoo!"--I'm going to talk for sixty minutes about the intersections of hospitality (welcoming God in the stranger), Trinitarian ontology and Eastern Orthodox iconography.

I've literally contemplated making cards and keeping them in my wallet so that when people ask about my tattoo I can just hand them some reading material. "Here, read this. Make sure you turn it over for the bibliography."

It's a similar situation with wearing a crucifix.

But I try to answer and keep it short. I say something like this:

I believe God is found among the victims of the world. God is hanging on crosses all over the world.

And so I wear a crucifix to remind me, to help me see.