August 25, 2007
Newsletter Archives

Recently it has been reported that a valuable cross dating to the Middle Ages turned up in a trash bin in Austria. Apparently a woman looking for old crockery in a trash container in the western Austrian town of Zell am See stumbled upon the precious piece in 2004. But she had no idea of it’s value and just stashed it behind her couch. Last month, one of the woman’s neighbors had an inkling the cross might be something special and took it to a local museum in the village of Leogang. Now experts say the cross could be worth as much as $575,000.
The woman found the cross after a hotel owner who lived in Zell am See died and his home was being cleared by relatives. The woman showed the cross to the niece of the dead man, but the niece didn’t want it and allowed the woman to take it. Officials say it appears the cross had been looted from a Polish art collection by the Nazis during World War II.
Engraved on the cross is a depiction of the Lord Jesus being crucified. And this made me think of the various reactions of the people who had contact with this cross in recent years. The niece saw no value in the cross and let the woman who found it have it. She took it but just stashed it behind a couch. She saw more value in it than the niece, but not much. The neighbors saw more value and took it to the museum. But the curator of the museum stated he knew its worth instantly and alerted police.
Pondering this, I thought about what the cross symbolizes and I realized that the reaction to the symbol is the same as the reaction to the cross of Christ.
Some see no value in His death and they let it go. Others see some value in it, but just stash it away. Some recognize there is more to it and do something about it. And a few see its true worth and take possession of it. The apostle Paul stated, “..God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” Galatians 6:14.
The most important question is: What is my reaction to the cross of Christ?” Someday God will settle our destiny based on our answer!

Jim Beattie

submitted by Russ Nesbit