Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago opened the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Monday with a prayer of invocation. He praised the “God of all creation … the source of every blessing that graces our lives and our nation.” But he drew criticism for the apparent compromises he made to the prevailing spirit of the Democratic Party, such as taking a large cross worn on his chest and stuffing it into his suit pocket.
The Lepanto Institute, a conservative Catholic organization, faulted Cupich for “never once mentioning the name of Jesus” and “hiding his pectoral cross.” Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker, who came under fire for public comments about his Catholic faith earlier this year, also responded, “America needs more Jesus not less. We need our shepherds to fearlessly lead and not be afraid to proclaim that Christ is King. It starts with bishops boldly wearing their pectoral cross outside their jackets.”
On one level, as a Baptist, I have no part in this debate. My pastors do not wear pectoral crosses — a term that I learned today. I am uninformed about the symbolism of the vestment, its history, and other matters that would determine its significance.
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On another level, there is clear symbolism, evident even to me, in a person taking a cross that he wears routinely and concealing it to address a large crowd. He is hiding the cross, the symbol of Jesus’s sacrificial death, from the audience.
In the context of the DNC, the prominent reason for hiding the cross is that it would be unwelcome. The party envisions a diminished role for religion — at least, the Christian religion — in American public life. It actively courts the votes of pro-Hamas demonstrators who chant “Allahu Akbar.” It is also the party of late-Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who opposed a Catholic judicial nominee on the grounds that “the dogma lives loudly within you” and then won reelection the next year. The point is, an openly Christian presentation may have offended, angered, or triggered the DNC crowd.
One unanswered question is whether Cardinal Cupich self-censored his Catholic faith, or whether he did so at the request of the DNC. Either way, Cupich concealed his pectoral cross because he knew he was addressing a crowd that was potentially hostile to displays of allegiance to Jesus Christ.
The world’s hostility does not surprise Jesus. He warned his disciples of coming persecution, of times when “you will be hated by all for my name’s sake” (Matthew 10:22). And, while Christians can take reasonable steps to avoid persecution, like fleeing the town (Matthew 10:23), they must not compromise the message of the gospel of Christ (Matthew 10:7, 19).
On this point, Jesus’s warning is stark: “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). In other words, whether or not we are willing to publicly identify ourselves with Jesus, even if it means persecution and hardship, is a decision with eternal consequences.
The reason why the stakes are so high is that God is more worthy of our fear than any human persecutors. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” Jesus said. “Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Of course, it not only fear of judgment that motivates Christians to endure persecution. Our heavenly Father watches carefully over (Matthew 10:29-30), strengthens (Matthew 10:19-20), and will reward those who endure (Matthew 10:40-42).
With that said, Christians should also recognize clearly that persecution is no picnic in the park. Peter, who was imprisoned (Acts 4:3), threatened (Acts 4:21), beaten (Acts 5:40), and miraculously delivered from Death Row (Acts 12:3-11), calls persecution a “fiery trial” (1 Peter 4:12). When the pressure mounts, and the temptation grows stronger, our resolve to hold fast to the name of Christ becomes much more difficult to fulfill.
Therefore, it is not for us “to pass judgment on the servant of another” because “it is before his own master that he stands or falls” (Romans 14:4). Thank God for his mercy, that even those who deny him before men, as Peter did, find forgiveness if they earnestly repent (John 21:15-19).
This raises one final reason why Christians should not conceal the cross of Christ from those who do not know him. All people were made to know him, and we were made to praise his superlative goodness, graciousness, holiness, and power. Yet all people have rebelled against him and cannot be restored to right relationship without experiencing conviction of sin, true repentance, and complete trust in Jesus Christ, who died to satisfy the penalty our sins deserve. Many people remain ignorant of this good news, and of the best way to live, so telling them about Jesus is the best possible way to love them.
“You are the light of the world,” Jesus told his disciples. “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16).
LifeNews Note: Joshua Arnold is a staff writer at The Washington Stand, contributing both news and commentary from a biblical worldview. Originally published by The Washington Stand.
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