I find this particular image disturbing because of the blatant mixing of the United States and the military with the cross of Christ. I do believe that Christ died for all - including soldiers. I am also very grateful to every soldier, airman and sailor who has served and risked life and livlihood to protect us. But the image of the battle helmet at the top of the cross signifies to me superiority over the cross. Are we to believe that the US Military has greater power to subdue foes than the death and resurrection of Christ?
The word 'remember' etched into the cross: are we to remember the soldiers? Christ? To raise our hands before speaking in class?
The mixing of the military with the cross confuses salvation. Are we to look to the military for our salvation? I suppose an argument can be made in the affirmative in the context of the temporal, but that only works - it seems to me - if we in this country were being oppressed and had something to be delivered from that only the military could accomplish. But the cross is the true source of all salvation - both temporal and eschatological.
Finally, I don't even know where to begin with the juxtaposition of the cross over the US flag. This has become so common for us (many of us see it each week in worship at our local church) that we don't even think about it. I've been thinking about it, and there are too many thoughts to put down here, so I'll just point it out and ask you to consider the ramifications of such a thing.
3 comments:
I don't think that it's sending any kind of message that the military is our salvation or that the cross of Christ is less important than America. On the contrary, the image seems to me to be intended to evoke the headstone of a fallen soldier in World War 2. A few pictures. The helmet atop the cross evokes the hasty burial of a fallen soldier or POW.
In order for this image to make its point, which is, I think, to remember fallen veterans, it needs to say "remember," "fallen," and "veterans." The word "remember" obviously accomplishes the first, the cross and helmet the second, and the helmet and the flag the third.
There are plenty of inappropriate combinations of American patriotic images and Christian images (flags on the chancel as just one example), but I just can't agree with you this time that this is sending such a mixed message.
For a blatant confusion of gospel and american power, see the TV preacher who has no cross whatever in his sanctuary, only a huge American flag.
I didn't say I was necessarily against this image; just that it confuses me - what, exactly, are we celebrating here and which is most important?
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