The Cross: Emblem of Divine Love and Redemption
In Christianity, wearing a cross with a crucifix carries deep symbolic meaning and is connected with understanding Christ’s sacrifice as a demonstration of Divine love and paternal care for humanity. The cross is seen not as a sign of defeat, but as a voluntary act through which Christ made the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, emphasizing the fusion of Divine justice and love. As stated in one source: "The cross is not defeat, but a voluntary act of Divine love (the Lord told Peter that legions of angels could have protected Him). The cross is an iconographic representation of the entire Holy Scripture, since the Lord Himself said that in the two commandments of love for God and one’s neighbor is contained all the law and the prophets, and the cross is the sun of love that illuminates the world. The cross is a symbol of submission to the will of God. Only Christ could have become a sacrifice for the sins of the world." (source: link txt)Furthermore, the cross symbolizes God’s immeasurable love for humanity, where the vertical line reflects God’s love and the horizontal line represents the love between people. This dual dimension underscores the connection between personal faith and communal relationships, making the cross not only an object of worship but also a reminder of the call to self-sacrifice and compassion. In this regard, another source notes: "The cross is a symbol of Divine love. On one side, the vertical beam of the cross points to God’s love for humanity, and the horizontal beam to the love between people. In this way, the cross is multifaceted and symbolic. It embodies faith for Christians and stands as a sign of sacrificial love." (source: link txt)Thus, wearing the cross with the crucifix in Christianity serves as a constant reminder of the central event of salvation—embodied in Christ’s sacrifice—and expresses a commitment to faith, submission to the will of God, and the aspiration toward love and unity in human relationships.Supporting citation(s):"The cross is not defeat, but a voluntary act of Divine love (the Lord told Peter that legions of angels could have protected Him). The cross is an iconographic representation of the entire Holy Scripture, since the Lord Himself said that in the two commandments of love for God and one’s neighbor is contained all the law and the prophets, and the cross is the sun of love that illuminates the world. The cross is a symbol of submission to the will of God. Only Christ could have become a sacrifice for the sins of the world." (source: link txt)"The cross is a symbol of Divine love. On one side, the vertical beam of the cross points to God’s love for humanity, and the horizontal beam to the love between people. In this way, the cross is multifaceted and symbolic. It embodies faith for Christians and stands as a sign of sacrificial love." (source: link txt)