--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We use the word cross in our hymns, in…" description: "\"“We use the word cross in our hymns, in our piety, in our prayers, and in our pastoral language. But we use it too cheaply. We say that a person has to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/john-howard-yoder-45463_cross_we-use-the-word-cross-in-our-hymns-in-ou_1626376.jpg" --- # We use the word cross in our hymns, in our piety, in our… ![“We use the word cross in our hymns, in our piety, in our prayers, and in our pastoral language. But we use it too cheaply. We say that a person has to live with some sort of suffering in life: a sickness that cannot be cured, an unresolvable personality conflict within the family, poverty, or some…” quote by John Howard Yoder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/john-howard-yoder-45463_cross_we-use-the-word-cross-in-our-hymns-in-ou_1626376.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/john-howard-yoder-45463_cross_we-use-the-word-cross-in-our-hymns-in-ou_1626376.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f62/john-howard-yoder-45463_cross_we-use-the-word-cross-in-our-hymns-in-ou_1626376.jpg) > ““We use the word cross in our hymns, in our piety, in our prayers, and in our pastoral language. But we use it too cheaply. We say that a person has to live with some sort of suffering in life: a sickness that cannot be cured, an unresolvable personality conflict within the family, poverty, or some other unexplainable or unchangeable suffering. Then we say, “That person has a cross to bear.” Granted, whatever kind of suffering we have is suffering that we can bear in confidence that God is with us. But the cross that Jesus had to face, because he chose to face it, was not—like sickness—something that strikes you without explanation. It was not some continuing difficulty in his social life. It was not an accident or catastrophe that just happened to hit him when it could have hit somebody else. Jesus’ cross was the price to pay for being the kind of person he was in the kind of world he was in; the cross that he chose was the price of his representing a new way of life in a world that did not want a new way of life. That is what he called his followers to do.”” [John Howard Yoder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-yoder/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The cross symbolizes a purposeful, chosen suffering that reflects a commitment to a transformative way of life, not merely unavoidable hardship. **In simple terms:** The cross is a chosen, purposeful suffering for transformation. Key Takeaway Accept chosen suffering as a path to deeper purpose. Themes suffering choice discipleship transformation faith Mood serious contemplative Type theological motivational When to use this quote - personal loss - social injustice - spiritual formation - leadership challenges Key Concepts theology existential meaning moral responsibility Questions to Reflect On - What suffering have you chosen for a higher purpose? - How do you distinguish between random hardship and purposeful cross? A Different Perspective Not all suffering is meaningful; some pain may be random and unchosen. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cross/) [Discipleship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipleship/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Social life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-life/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering In Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-in-life/) [Way of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [“Look at the girl I loved and who loved me and how she ended. 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No one had ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-salzberg/the-first-of-the-four-noble-truths-of-buddhism-that-there-is/) [Sharon Salzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-salzberg/) > [All of our suffering in life is from saying we want one thing and doing another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/all-of-our-suffering-in-life-is-from-saying-we-want-one-thing-and/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [When we feel anger toward someone, we can consider that they are a being just like us, who has faced much suffering in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-feel-anger-toward-someone-we-can-consider-that-they-are-a/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [“What is the Other?" they ask. The Other is the one who taught me whatI should be like, but not what I am. 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But it's better to lose some of the battles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/but-there-is-suffering-in-life-and-there-are-defeats-no-one-can-avoid/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“When we feel anger toward someone, we can consider that he or she is a being just like us, who has faced much suffering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-feel-anger-toward-someone-we-can-consider-that-he-or-she-is-a/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [Although I'm perceived as very optimistic and upbeat, it comes out of being the opposite of that - feeling isolated or lonely, looking for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-mcgonigal/although-i-m-perceived-as-very-optimistic-and-upbeat-it-comes-out-of/) [Jane McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-mcgonigal/) > [How many years of fatigue and punishment it takes to learn the simple truth that work, that disagreeable thing, is the only way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-baudelaire/how-many-years-of-fatigue-and-punishment-it-takes-to-learn-the-simple/) [Charles Baudelaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-baudelaire/) > [Leave Jesus on the cross. He's very happy there!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/leave-jesus-on-the-cross-he-s-very-happy-there/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) ## More by John Howard Yoder > [“If we read the text alone, assuming that the word 'cross' can only derive its meaning from the later death of Jesus, then its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-howard-yoder/if-we-read-the-text-alone-assuming-that-the-word-cross-can-only/) [John Howard Yoder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-howard-yoder/) > [“Before drawing any affirmative conclusions let us first note the absence of the concept of imitation as a general pastoral or moral guideline. 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I don't want to be too predictable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-marshall/i-do-enjoy-intense-bloodthirsty-action-but-i-like-to-blend-and-cross/) [Neil Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-marshall/) > [In the Christianity of Christendom the Cross has become something like the child’s hobby-horse and trumpet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-the-christianity-of-christendom-the-cross-has-become-something/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I know it's a film and all of that, and it's a Hollywood film, but it kind of feels like this sometimes, when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-marber/i-know-it-s-a-film-and-all-of-that-and-it-s-a-hollywood-film-but-it/) [Patrick Marber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-marber/) > [“You can always count on the promise of forever that He made when He died on that cross and rose again three days later.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naya-s/you-can-always-count-on-the-promise-of-forever-that-he-made-when-he/) [Naya S](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naya-s/) > [“My religious convictions and scientific views cannot at present be more specifically defined than as those of a believer in creative evolution. 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I've to make sure I don't cross over into mimicry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushant-singh-rajput/there-is-a-very-thin-line-dividing-characterisation-from/) [Sushant Singh Rajput](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushant-singh-rajput/) > [The Son of God goes forth to war,A kingly crown to gain;His blood red banner streams afar:Who follows in His train?Who best can drink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reginald-heber/the-son-of-god-goes-forth-to-war-a-kingly-crown-to-gain-his-blood-red/) [Reginald Heber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reginald-heber/) > [Sin is the second most powerful force in the universe, for it sent Jesus to the cross. Only one force is greater-the love of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/sin-is-the-second-most-powerful-force-in-the-universe-for-it-sent/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [“God has chosen to save the world through the cross, through the shameful and powerless death of the crucified Messiah. If that shocking event…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hays/god-has-chosen-to-save-the-world-through-the-cross-through-the/) Richard Hays > [God makes me play well. That is why I always make the sign of a cross when I walk out on to the pitch.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-maradona/god-makes-me-play-well-that-is-why-i-always-make-the-sign-of-a-cross/) [Diego Maradona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-maradona/) > [Do you love the cross because it makes much of you? 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