Look closely at the image of the Celtic cross. Do you see how the sun is cast behind it? This is not an image of the sun with a cross inside. This is the cross, standing at the center of creation. Celtic Christianity did not try to beat the paganism out of the Irish, but rather attempted to place the things they valued in a new light. The created world, so important to the Celts before they encountered Jesus, continued to be significant. But what transformed their worldview was not simply affirming the created order but recognizing that the cross of Jesus has redeemed and brought new life to all of creation. Rather than tossing out the people’s emphasis on creation, Celtic Christianity was intentionally built upon it. If there is any symbol for Christianity with both a historic and a present concern for our environment, the Celtic cross seems to be it.
This message is excerpted from “Calla lilies and crosses” by Dave Daubert in the March 2019 Gather magazine. Today is Holy Cross Day.
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