Cross is unifying symbol of Christian faith

As you drive down almost any street in Shawnee, before long you pass a church building. As I drive by different church buildings, I often ask myself, “What beliefs do the people who attend there have different than mine?” I have often let the many theological differences run through my mind. Recently when I was doing this, I looked up and saw a cross on top of the church. I noticed there was a cross on almost every church building, sometimes on a sign or on a window. So the thought came to me: the cross is the unifying symbol of Christian Bible believers. The cross points to Earth, where Jesus made salvation possible, and the cross points to heaven to assure us of eternal life.
My sister sent me a copy of the Sunday school quiz used by a teacher testing her class to see if they understood the concept of getting to heaven. She asked her children several questions:
“If I sold my house and my car and had a big garage sale and gave all the money to the church, would that get me to heaven?” “No!,” the children answered.
“If I gave candy to the children, loved my husband and was kind to everyone, would that get me to heaven?” “No!,” the children answered.
“If I always did what was right and did not say bad things, and always attended church, would that get me to heaven?” A 5-year-old boy shouted, “You gotta be dead!” While we are smiling at that, let me add that this is the important question that has faced Bible believers of all faiths. It is the cross of Jesus that reminds us that when we trust Jesus, we are not only assured of heaven, but we find the peace of heaven in our lives here on Earth. The cross points us to the fact that what Jesus did for us on the cross not only makes possible eternal life in heaven but will bring heaven to our souls on this Earth.
Paul was writing to the Colossian church regarding the cross. “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us and took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross ... let no man therefore judge you in meat. Or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath day.” (Colossians 2:14, 16). Thus, the cross has become a unifying symbol of the Christian faith. While some may wear a cross just as a good-luck charm, the cross still points us to the fact that God came as man and paid the price for sin by dying on the cross, and arose from the grave to give to all who will simply believe eternal life in heaven. So we can sing: “...I will cling to the old rugged cross, and exchange it someday for a crown.”