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The Cross Walk
John M. Buttrey II
It is a scene that is found every school day of the year, in front of nearly every school: A crossing guard stopping traffic to make sure the children get safely through the crosswalk and to the other side of the road. I see it every time I take our grandson Eric to school, in the morning, and in the afternoon.
Accompanying this familiar sight is another, not so pretty scene. There are a number of parents who will not walk to the cross walk (which is sometimes as close as twenty feet), but will instead cross the street on their own with their children. I have even seen some who will encourage their children to cross on their own, with no parent or crossing guard.
Aside from the obvious safety risk to their children is the lesson the parents are teaching their children: A lesson which says, you don't need a cross walk to be safe from traffic.
In a recent conversation with a City of Anaheim police officer, concern was expressed to me regarding the safety risk and traffic problems created by teens at the High School when they cross the street in front of our church building. Indeed, it is a huge problem, with teens crossing anywhere and everywhere. Apparently, as young children, these, now young adults, were taught the same bad lesson from their parents.
Not long ago, while walking with Eric to school and watching the scene I have been describing, I realized I was watching a living parable.
In the same way that people will not submit to the safety of a crosswalk or heed the warning of a crossing guard, preferring to cross on their own terms, many people in the world will not submit to God's "cross" walk, nor heed His warning.
Through the sacrifice of His Son, God has made a way for man to safely cross from this life to the next. Safely passing through life to reach eternal life requires submission to the cross walk. Jesus said,
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
Luke 9:23
God's cross walk is a daily task for the child of God. We must daily fight the temptation to do things on our own terms, choosing rather to willingly submit to His will (cf. Heb. 11:25). Throughout our life as Christians, we follow Jesus. He is our "Crossing Guard." He gives us the protection we need from the dangers of sin. As such, we must keep our eyes fixed on Him (Heb. 12:2), and walk in the light (1 John 1:7-9).
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
1 Peter 2:21
Accompanying this familiar sight is another, not so pretty scene. There are a number of parents who will not walk to the cross walk (which is sometimes as close as twenty feet), but will instead cross the street on their own with their children. I have even seen some who will encourage their children to cross on their own, with no parent or crossing guard.
Aside from the obvious safety risk to their children is the lesson the parents are teaching their children: A lesson which says, you don't need a cross walk to be safe from traffic.
In a recent conversation with a City of Anaheim police officer, concern was expressed to me regarding the safety risk and traffic problems created by teens at the High School when they cross the street in front of our church building. Indeed, it is a huge problem, with teens crossing anywhere and everywhere. Apparently, as young children, these, now young adults, were taught the same bad lesson from their parents.
Not long ago, while walking with Eric to school and watching the scene I have been describing, I realized I was watching a living parable.
In the same way that people will not submit to the safety of a crosswalk or heed the warning of a crossing guard, preferring to cross on their own terms, many people in the world will not submit to God's "cross" walk, nor heed His warning.
Through the sacrifice of His Son, God has made a way for man to safely cross from this life to the next. Safely passing through life to reach eternal life requires submission to the cross walk. Jesus said,
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
Luke 9:23
God's cross walk is a daily task for the child of God. We must daily fight the temptation to do things on our own terms, choosing rather to willingly submit to His will (cf. Heb. 11:25). Throughout our life as Christians, we follow Jesus. He is our "Crossing Guard." He gives us the protection we need from the dangers of sin. As such, we must keep our eyes fixed on Him (Heb. 12:2), and walk in the light (1 John 1:7-9).
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps,
1 Peter 2:21