Redeemed, and Reborn - Why I don't Often Wear A Cross

littlenewthings (67)in #steempress • 6 years ago (edited)

"Why do you wear a star of David, baby?"

I never managed to answer this question to him when he saw it...

I guess when you read this title, and probably saw the question, there's a first conclusionwould have jumped into your mind...

Let me be clear before I continue: I am not Jewish.

A lot of people when they first saw this symbol would have thought that I am in Judaism; but for those who truly know me personally would have said otherwise.

But why would I still not pick a cross to wear, but instead of wearing... this?

You see, wearing the cross is easy . It has come to a norm that even a non believer wears a cross because it resembled something meaningful that has been around for 2,000 years.

Others even wear it upside down simply showing defiance.
(I am not going to touch the topic there)

(Don't judge me. I love the cross for what it symbolises and what Jesus' finished work on my life meant.)

Instead, I chose to wear something that challenges me to remember something significant and also an object that would spark people's curiosity. Most of the time when you see a cross from far away, you'd probably already have a certain mindset set on the person who's wearing it.

Something perhaps would catch people off guard, maybe a little time to listen to my story

You see, no doubt Christianity is widely spread in evangelism by the Western countries especially during the British occupation throughout the world, I am not good at memorizing church history, and often Christianity is marked as a White man's religion .

However often many (almost everyone) overlooked that Jesus was born in a Jewish society, the first nation that God had a covenant with...

And so call being called as "the chosen nation"

Ahem! Pardon my digression!
I did not mean to go that way, that wasn't my intention.

Anyways, Jesus was born into this Jewish society over 2000 years ago, because of the covenant that God had and the promise of a Savior (Messiah) to be born in Isaiah 53.

Hence the structure of this pendant was formed based on that promise, that was given to both Jews and Gentiles ... and was called

"One New *Man**"

(as in Adam in Hebrew - mankind)

It is closely related to what Apostle Paul mentioned in Ephesians 1:5-6

He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed in the Beloved.

And through the menorah (the olive tree symbol for Jewish custom), through the Star of David (where it signifies the Messiah in ~~Christian~~ context), and the fish ... represented quite a fair bit about how Jesus' ministry emphasized the people He reached out are fishes who became fishers of men .

That's a lot of theological mumbo-jumbo...

But to me, it is personal because it reminded me that because of Him Who came all the way to save me, used to be viewed more or less an outcast from the norm, a damaged rebel full of anger; clean me and fix me up, clothed me with a new heart and a new purpose with His righteousness (not mine), restored my brokenness bit by bit, glazed my cracks with His gold...

Like Kintsugi ...

(a Japanese porcelain mending method)

Source

but way much better ...

...because my scars are all bore on my Saviour's body for the sake of my freedom.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation : old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

Me wearing this gives me the daily reminder that I am no longer confined in my old hurts, old mistakes, old destructive habits, that condemn and ate me alive at one point; but been made brand new.

And also a story to tell how His Grace and His mercy has pulled me through for a little over a decade now.

Of course, I still occasionally wear the cross when I don't wear this... I like to switch it and let the silver rest from my (occasionally) acidic sweat (haha)... too much coffee I suppose?

I was very blessed to have my friend who so happened did her pilgrimage in Israel and managed to get me in an affordable price; otherwise I won't have the opportunity to tell my stories at present day.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my sharing as much as I have enjoyed preparing it.