wfn.org | Commentary: Airport security turns people into crosses

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Aug. 7, 2002 News media contact: Linda Green7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn.
10-71BP{350}

NOTE: A head-and-shoulders photo of Bishop William W. Hutchinson is
available at http://umns.umc.org/photos/headshots.html.

A UMNS Commentary
By Bishop William W. Hutchinson*

The cross appears everywhere. It hangs around the necks of people using it
as fine jewelry. It stands on the altar table or graces the chancel wall of
a church as a reminder to all worshipers that Christ died and rose again for
them. It is on the fronts of hymnals and Bibles.  

It stands on roadsides as a visual reminder of the death of a loved one or
friend.  It stands as the final and lasting symbol of belief on many graves.

The cross is even in the airport.  

Yes, the airport!  I recently saw the cross as I sat near the security
checkpoint in the Tucson, Ariz., airport. The cross was actually a man - a
big man - with his arms outstretched, standing in his socks and being
"wanded" by an airport security person. He formed the cross beautifully and
without discussion. The security guard ran the detector carefully up one
side and down the other of his body, tracing the outline of the cross the
body made. 

I was absolutely entranced. Had I not seen such a scene before? Oh yes. In
fact, I had seen it many times. I had even been the one forming the cross on
several occasions as I was randomly selected to step out of line and have
myself searched and scanned while holding out my arms in the form of a Latin
cross.

Even though I had seen the scene and had been a participant, I had never
connected it to an act of faith and a sign of faith. But it can be
experienced as both. It certainly called my attention to our Christian faith
and made me sit and ponder the meaning of such a mundane and yet profound
act. It has a great theological message. 

Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up
his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it." (Mark 8:
34-35, NIV) Can that teaching be transferred to the airports of the world
and other security checkpoints in the year 2002? I am convinced it can.

If we will look for the gospel, we will see it. It is always present. If we
think of ourselves as the living sign of the presence of Jesus, we will
mentally and emotionally step into those dreaded lines of search and delay
with the reminder that we are children of God, saved by the Lord Jesus
Christ, and empowered to live our lives in a threatening and threatened
world through the Holy Spirit.  

Our own bodies, in the form of a cross, can be our spiritual reminder that
the world has not been abandoned, that we are called to be Christ's body in
every place we find ourselves, and that we are not called to save ourselves
but to lose our life for him and for the gospel.  

That realization enabled me to get on the plane in Tucson with a sense of
peace about my fear of flying. I was there because I had gone to do the work
of Christ. I was flying again to go to another place to do the work of
Christ and share the gospel. After all, it was a relatively safe way to
place myself in the midst of the teaching. What should I fear?  

Actually, why fear any part of life if we are living in the scope of this
insight given us by Christ? When we try and save our life, we lose it. When
we lose our life for the sake of Christ and for the gospel, we save it.  

Next time you are in the airport and see human beings in the form of a
cross, or have to extend your own arms in any security search, think of your
relationship to Christ. Who are you? For what or whom are you living? For
what or whom are you willing to die? It just might be a good theological
check for you personally. It certainly was for me.

# # #

*Hutchinson is the bishop of the Louisiana Annual Conference. A longer
version of this commentary first appeared in Louisiana Now!, the
conference's newspaper.

Commentaries provided by United Methodist News Service do not necessarily
represent the opinions or policies of UMNS or the United Methodist Church.

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
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