ESSA cross
Award-winning
Christian sculptor, Gert Swart designed the cross which is mounted at
the rear of the ESSA chapel. The cross is rich in symbolic meaning - each symbol is explained below.
The cross is at the centre of God's interaction with humanity. It is God's
means of reaching deep into human experience and of transforming the sinfulness,
brokenness and pain of that experience into something of worth. The work
of Christ on the cross impacts on individuals, communities and ultimately
every aspect of creation.
This cross is elevated in public display as a message of redemption,
reconciliation and hope for the people of KwaZulu-Natal. The symbols
on the cross echo biblical images and arise out of the experience
of life in this province. The meaning of the death of Jesus Christ
goes far beyond definition or analysis. In it we approach the mystery
of the heart of God. Symbols can assist in our understanding by pointing
to the significance without at the same time taking away the mystery.
Outer circle: The outer rings are ambiguous in their significance. Artistically they create a dynamic impression rather than the usual more passive traditional image and suggest the purpose of God swirling outward from the centre of the cross. They are like horns on the Hebrew altar of sacrifice, which in the Old Testament are symbols of protection and strength. Alternatively they can represent thorns depicting pain and suffering. The suffering Servant was 'pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities ... and by His wounds we are healed' (Is 53:5).
Fingers on triggers: We have often sentimentalised the cross or sanitized it as a religious ornament, forgetting that it was, in fact, a horrible instrument of execution. In doing this, we remove it from the brutality and suffering which, sadly, we have become accustomed to in KwaZulu-Natal. The fingers on triggers depicted here represent the rifles, knives, revolvers, spears, AK47's, assegais and other means of killing used throughout the history of this province and which have resulted in its present culture of violence and death. God in Christ (2 Cor 5:19) came into such a violent culture and Himself became a victim of it. He identifies with all victims and in doing so gives us the option of turning from violence and ministering to those who suffer because of it.
Crown of thorns: The crown of thorns aligns itself with the outer ring. For Christ these thorns must have inflicted continuous physical pain and humiliation. The Apostle Paul uses the image of a 'thorn in the flesh' to speak of an affliction he has pleaded with God to remove. God's response to Paul as to his own Son was not to remove the thorn but to give sufficient grace to endure it (2 Cor 12:7-9). In KwaZulu-Natal there is ongoing suffering. We face the pandemic of AIDS, with one in every three people between the age of 15 and 45 infected with the HIV/AIDS virus. One in four in the province will die day after day within the next 10 years unless a cure is found. Many are praying for a cure. As yet there is no answer to that prayer. In this situation the cross forces us to look for deeper answers. The Church is challenged to die to its triumphalism and self-preoccupation and with the crucified Christ to 'go outside the camp' to those who are rejected in order to give itself sacrificially in service, as Christ gave Himself. Those who live with the poisonous thorns of AIDS within their bodies are being challenged to look for a meaning to life which is beyond the physical and the material. Behind and above the painful crown of thorns there is the hint of a crown of victory, which Christ now wears (Heb 2:9) and which awaits those who have faith in Him (1 Pet 5:4).
Inner circle: The circle around the cross is traditionally associated with the Celtic cross and speaks of its eternal significance. The inner circle is red with redemption and it resists and pushes back at the encompassing outer horns.
Flames: The flames are all too familiar as a destructive agent. Homes and villages are blackened ruins having been gutted after forced removals. People have been necklaced with car tyres and then torched. In both the Old and the New Testaments, the image of fire is used to describe God refining his people (Is 48:10) and purifying their faith (1 Pet 1:6,7) as they take up their cross to follow Christ. Christ on the cross went through the fire of torment for us. Because of His example, suffering can be experienced as having a purifying effect, as the fire has on precious metals (Matt 16:24).
Broken wall: To the right of the flames is the
double image of a broken down wall and a branch growing out from a chopped
off stump. It is a picture of renaissance. In New Testament times the
great wall of division was between Jew and Gentile and the apostle Paul
could write that 'in his body Christ destroyed the barrier of hostility,
through the cross' (Eph 2:14-16). We have seen the great wall of Apartheid
broken down in our time. Much dismantling still needs to be done within
the church and in society. Christian denominations are still rivals; black
and white are still strangers; political parties still resort to violence
and feuds are still simmering on. The way ahead is the way of the cross,
the way of humility, confession and forgiveness, the way of love for one's
enemy.
Yet, a broken wall is not enough. By itself it presents a picture
of ruins. Something needs to replace it. Isaiah, prophesying to a
nation which had been devastated in exile wrote that out of remnant
of the nation which remained, a branch would come up from the stump
of Jesse - a branch which would bear fruit (Is 6:13). Christ the Messiah
has fulfilled that prophecy. In his death He too was felled like a
tree. Yet from His death and resurrection has sprung up a great plant
which continues to spread among the nations. In this is hope for all
that has been decimated in KwaZulu-Natal. There are vast areas of
denuded land, families cut off by killings and disease, young lives
shortened by drugs and crime. The hoped for African Renaissance will
not grow in KwaZulu-Natal from government policies alone, but from
the spiritual soil of God's purpose in Christ.
Sword: In the first sermon preached following the resurrection of Christ, the Apostle Peter made it clear that Christ's death was not only an atrocity perpetrated by wicked men, but that it took place because of 'God's set purpose and foreknowledge' (Acts 2:23). The inset sword over the Lamb speaks of the death which Jesus died under the judgment of God on human sin in order 'to demonstrate His justice, so as to be just and the One who justifies those who have faith in Jesus' (Rom 3:25).
Hand holding egg/seed: This symbol addresses the subject of the handling of power. The image comes from Ghana and speaks of the gentleness with which the ruler needs to handle his subjects. Isaiah prophesied that the coming King would be so gentle that 'a bruised reed He will not break and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out' (Is 42:3). Christ on the cross refused to use His power for His own deliverance. He gave His life for helpless sinners. The egg is also a traditional object associated with Easter, speaking of the new life which is within it, ready to emerge when broken. Christ taught that for new life to emerge, the seed must fall into the ground and die (John 12:24). The history of KwaZulu-Natal has many examples of those who have used power for their own ends and to the destruction of many - governments, chiefs, generals, warlords, business tycoons have been guilty of despoiling the population and resources. Christ calls on all who exercise any power, to turn from such self serving and to follow Him in giving their lives in service for others.
Ploughshares: The reference here is to Isaiah's prophecy of the cessation of wars in the coming kingdom under the reign of the Messiah. His subjects will obey Him and 'they will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks' (Is 2:4). Instead of involvement in the destructiveness of wars, Christ will turn people's energies to sustaining life.
Shield: At the very centre of the cross is a shield representing the protected and hidden work of Christ for humanity. This is the eternal dimension of the cross and the circumstances of time cannot penetrate it. Paul writes that 'your life is hid with Christ in God' (Col 3:1-3). Within the shield is the sacrificial Lamb of Rev 5 - 'a lamb looking as if it had been slain, standing in the centre of the throne' (Rev 5:6). The underside of the arch on which it stands is red and signifies blood which has been shed. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has exposed some of the sins committed in South Africa in the last decades and has granted amnesty to some who have transgressed, but only the blood of Christ is capable of cleansing the consciences of each individual and community, when they come in confession and repentance. The steps of baptism lead downwards and upwards representing the whole church as it has identified itself with the death and resurrection of the Saviour (Rom 6:4).
Candle: The familiar candle within barbed wire, which was used to denote the witness of Christians in the midst of suffering during the Apartheid years, is seen at the foot of the cross, backed by an hourglass. Those who bear witness to the crucified Christ throughout time will continue to share in His sufferings (2 Tim 3:12). The servant is not greater than His Lord (John 15:20).