Crucifixion: a Symbol of What We Do to Ourselves

There are people who think we ought to get rid of all talk about the crucifixion of Jesus in the 21st century—that it is a negative, unhelpful, even harmful image.

Those who have moved away from Christianity point to how Christendom has even taught people to crucify themselves, put themselves down, subjecting their will to that of others, and actually to feel bad about themselves.

This has led to such travesties as wives putting up with terrible abuse from husbands because they believe they are supposed to take up their cross daily like Jesus. It has led to people flagellating themselves during Holy Week—a horrible practice that is simply blasphemous because it is a total misunderstanding of the divine which is nothing but joy.

No wonder many today believe we should have more positive images held up for us to emulate.

I believe we do ourselves a disservice when we try to rid ourselves of the crucifixion imagery. As we approach what is known as Holy Week, I'd like to present a different viewpoint.

The crucifixion of Jesus is a symbol of what we do to ourselves each day, out of which we do it to others. What has been done to us, we do to those around us, and they do it in turn back to us.

What we do to ourselves in this world of beauty is tragic.

By treating our humanity with contempt, we crucify ourselves.

By holding this world of matter at arm's length, instead of fully embracing our rootedness in nature, we crucify ourselves.

By not reaching for the total fulfillment our being, but settling for half measures, we crucify ourselves.

And by crucifying ourselves, we crucify each other, the creatures of our planet, and even the very earth, water, and sky that give us life.

The crucifixion resounds throughout history because it touches a nerve in each of us.

When we see, through the image of the crucified Jesus, what we have done to ourselves and to each other, we can at last become people who seek healing—healing of ourselves, healing of the human race, and healing of the entire planet.

The symbol of crucifixion invites us to become deeply rooted in our bodiliness, in the seasons, in everything that is a manifestation of the divine.

Only then are we resurrected into divine consciousness.