What Does It Mean?
By Lois Parker Edstrom
Objects suggested: A large paper heart and/or a picture of a rainbow and/or an American flag (or flag appropriate to your country) and a cross.
Pictures of rainbows
What do you think about when you see a picture or a paper cut-out of a heart? Yes, we think of love. On Valentine’s Day we give cards shaped like a heart or decorated with hearts to those we love.
When you see a rainbow, how does it make you feel? For many people a rainbow is a sign of hope. Rain may be falling, but for a rainbow to color the sky there must also be sun.
What do you think about when you see an American flag? (Use flag appropriate to your country.) Yes, the flag represents our country and it may cause you to think about how fortunate we are to live in a country that is free. We enjoy many freedoms.
All three of these things we have been talking about (a heart, a rainbow, and a flag) are known as symbols. A symbol is something which gives us information without using words.
As Christians, we also have a symbol. It is a cross. The cross stands for love and freedom and hope. Jesus died on the cross to demonstrate God’s love for us. Because he did that we may choose to have freedom from the mistakes we have made in the past. We also have hope for a future with God.
Our Christian symbol, the cross, means many things to many people. Three things for which we can give thanks when we see the cross are love, freedom, and hope.
Scripture quotations from the World English Bible
Copyright 2005, 2007, Richard Niell Donovan