Something happen this week that has troubled my soul and stirred me to post tonight.
Sunday morning, I went to the supermarket to see the headline of both the Jamaica Gleaner and Observer discussing the arrest of Mark Myrie, popularly known as Buju Banton. I had not time to investigate the paper.
However, for the entire week, Buju's arrest dominated the news and discussion all around Jamaica.
At first, I was appalled and felt that it was a set-up. That the gay American community plotted and schemed something to cause Buju's downfall, especially since he was being considered for a Grammy Award.
As more data however came out, I reconsidered my position. The problem is that even though I know the CIA is capable of setting up people for fraud as they did with Marcus Garvey (that what I was lead to believe while I was studying Marcus Garvey in my undergraduate year), this time I think Buju lived out his self-fulfilling prophecy of "Driva".
I believe that drug cartels who start out selling ganja may diversify their product offerings and move to the more lucrative crop. After all their goal is profit. So if Buju sang about ganja, who is to say he was not singing about a real life experience? And if he sang from experience, who is to say he did not go further and diversify into cocaine after tasting success in his ganja trade?
However, I am against all drugs including alcohol and cigarette and know nothing about that underworld. And I never want to know. Why should you make money through the destruction of other people and their health and reasoning abilities?
Driva was an awful song promoting the lawlessness and the selling of a herb that has destroyed the lives of many Jamaican young men. In fact, it was very disappointing for me a former Buju fan, to know that he moved from conscious and clean lyrics to join the Jamaican artistes that glorify drugs.
Secondly, I considered the US Feds. They are nothing like Jamaican police. When you talk about criminal intelligence, plus surveillance abilities, the only police better are those in Israel. Look at the US Embassy in Kingston and you know how dead serious these people are when it comes to security. If they collect evidence that a man is guilty of an act, then that evidence would really be convincing.
Buju, you reap what you sow. Your words are bearing their fruit. May you be an example to all drug men and lyrical composers.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Praying for my Students
As I was leaving my office to attend an examination that I set for my students, in my instant message I told my wife about what I would be doing to let her know that I would be offline. Her reply was that I should pray for my students.
I carried that thought with me to the examination centre, committed to doing it. However, when I got there, I mentally pushed it aside to execute my other secular duties.
First, I checked to see if all my students were present, except those I expected to be absent. I also checked to see if the question paper had any errors. After doing this I checked the questions to determine how many possible interpretations could be had of my examination questions.
Finally, I remembered the prayer. I stood and closed my eyes and petitioned G-d in whispers, I heard snickering or laughing from 2 of the invigilators in front of me.
In the petition, I asked G-d to be gracious and merciful to the students and to cause them recall what they studied, learnt and read. I also petitioned that they would interpret the questions properly and read them carefully, that their answers would be relevant and match my expectations.
I also asked that God have pity on the students. I referred him to his heart of compassion that he had, wherein he was not willing that any perish but that all would have eternal life. I mentioned to G-d that this is similar to my situation as a lecturer, as I too had no desire that my students fail but that all should pass.
After petitioning G-d on the behalf of the students, I left the examination centre and returned 2 hrs after, when the students were leaving. One female student who was just leaving her seat walked over to me and said:
I knew then that G-d had used me and answered the prayer.
I carried that thought with me to the examination centre, committed to doing it. However, when I got there, I mentally pushed it aside to execute my other secular duties.
First, I checked to see if all my students were present, except those I expected to be absent. I also checked to see if the question paper had any errors. After doing this I checked the questions to determine how many possible interpretations could be had of my examination questions.
Finally, I remembered the prayer. I stood and closed my eyes and petitioned G-d in whispers, I heard snickering or laughing from 2 of the invigilators in front of me.
In the petition, I asked G-d to be gracious and merciful to the students and to cause them recall what they studied, learnt and read. I also petitioned that they would interpret the questions properly and read them carefully, that their answers would be relevant and match my expectations.
I also asked that God have pity on the students. I referred him to his heart of compassion that he had, wherein he was not willing that any perish but that all would have eternal life. I mentioned to G-d that this is similar to my situation as a lecturer, as I too had no desire that my students fail but that all should pass.
After petitioning G-d on the behalf of the students, I left the examination centre and returned 2 hrs after, when the students were leaving. One female student who was just leaving her seat walked over to me and said:
"Sir, I thank you for the prayer. I could not think until I saw you do what you did."
I knew then that G-d had used me and answered the prayer.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
The Purpose of Torah
As I walked yesterday evening, a man with a bicycle was riding up the walkway. I was unsure which path he would take, whether he would swerve to the left or to the right. So I stood still in the middle until the cyclist swerved to my left and passed me. Then I reflected on this situation that had now passed.
In Jamaica, the first rule of the road is to keep left unless overtaking (Hylton 2003, p. 58). From this rule, all motorists can expect that when driving on the road, that their fellow motorists that use the road will keep left under most conditions. What this does is to create expectations and predictability about the other driver's behaviour. It eliminates the uncertainty that I felt when walking on the walk way and seeing the cyclist coming straight at me. (Usually, a cyclist would ride on the road and not on the walk way).
A very profound spiritual lesson emerged as I pondered this experience and even the rules of the road. God revealed to me through this situation that laws are necessary to ensure that human beings know what to expect and that there is some level of predictability in social and spiritual life.
For those of us familiar with Torah, many of the laws given outlined people's obligations to other people as well as their obligation to G-d. The scriptures are full of instruction about human obligation to society.
G-d wants human beings to know that they are obligated to others and must conduct themselves in a manner that will ensure that society or social relations do not disintegrate.
Marital laws for instance speak to a man and woman's obligation to each other and the offspring that result from their sexual relations. Marital laws make a man obligated to a woman that he has sexual relations with, so that he does not just use her like soap to fill his need and leave her. Rather it obligates him to treat the woman that he desires to have sex with in a special way, obligating that he stays with her until death, helping her through life in good times and bad. Marital laws mandate that the man also helps the woman to raise the offspring of their sexual relations.
Rules and laws were made to ensure that people know that they cannot just live to please themselves, but in order to live in society or community, they must live in consideration of the rights of others and their responsibility and obligations to maintain as much as possible peaceful relations in society, through ensuring that they consider other persons as they consider themselves.
In Jamaica, the first rule of the road is to keep left unless overtaking (Hylton 2003, p. 58). From this rule, all motorists can expect that when driving on the road, that their fellow motorists that use the road will keep left under most conditions. What this does is to create expectations and predictability about the other driver's behaviour. It eliminates the uncertainty that I felt when walking on the walk way and seeing the cyclist coming straight at me. (Usually, a cyclist would ride on the road and not on the walk way).
A very profound spiritual lesson emerged as I pondered this experience and even the rules of the road. God revealed to me through this situation that laws are necessary to ensure that human beings know what to expect and that there is some level of predictability in social and spiritual life.
For those of us familiar with Torah, many of the laws given outlined people's obligations to other people as well as their obligation to G-d. The scriptures are full of instruction about human obligation to society.
G-d wants human beings to know that they are obligated to others and must conduct themselves in a manner that will ensure that society or social relations do not disintegrate.
Marital laws for instance speak to a man and woman's obligation to each other and the offspring that result from their sexual relations. Marital laws make a man obligated to a woman that he has sexual relations with, so that he does not just use her like soap to fill his need and leave her. Rather it obligates him to treat the woman that he desires to have sex with in a special way, obligating that he stays with her until death, helping her through life in good times and bad. Marital laws mandate that the man also helps the woman to raise the offspring of their sexual relations.
Rules and laws were made to ensure that people know that they cannot just live to please themselves, but in order to live in society or community, they must live in consideration of the rights of others and their responsibility and obligations to maintain as much as possible peaceful relations in society, through ensuring that they consider other persons as they consider themselves.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Getting the message in my condition
With the miracle of Thursday night, I was expecting full recovery by weekend. So I went to work on Friday. However, my flu-like condition plagued me all Sabbath, despite the absence of the fever and headache. I was left with coughing and sneezing. I felt extremely cold and put socks on my feet, and warm clothing. I even covered my head. Each time I felt that I was getting better, some symptom or the other reminded me that I was not yet "out of the woods".
I missed church (did not want to carry my germs into a public gathering, especially where there are infants and newborn babies.) To keep up with my spiritual food, I decided to visit Chabad.org just to read from their website anything that would impact my Torah understanding.
In one article, I read about a Chassidic practice, "set forth by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, that "From everything that a person sees or hears, he should derive a lesson in his service of G-d"" (Bolton "Tightrope"). In another article "The Chase" with a consistent belief similar to the aforementioned statement also reminded me that I need to look into my everyday life situation and reflect on them for spiritual lessons. I have not done that all day. Both articles however reinforced that I needed to extract spiritual meaning from my temporal life, so that I can reconnect[or connect] with God. (On this viewpoint, I will need to write an blog entry by itself).
I also viewed Taub's vlog, where a stick man in the video walked up to a ladder with a sign that read "Free Awesome stuff at the top of this ladder". The stick man did not want to climb the ladder, but stepped back, ran up and tried to jump to get to the top of the ladder.
These articles and the video clip that I watched, however, did not become alive with meaning for me until later in the night whilst my wife and daughter were asleep and I was up alone.
It is in this quiet time of solitude that God revealed to me that this illness was a way of getting my attention. He wanted me to reflect on my illness and get the spiritual lessons that he placed in it for me. The illness was indeed my opportunity to pause and do spiritual accounting. God did not just want to heal me immediately, so that I could go back to my extremely busy routine, where i kind of sidelined personal time with God in order to achieve "more urgent and pressing" career goals and objectives.
He wanted me to stop me and get my attention, so that he could get me to refocus. Thus, the first step to doing this was for God to reveal to me the need to focus on the spiritual issues in my condition, and extract from it. It is God's desire that we all look for spiritual meaning from the mundane and temporal. After we do this, we open ourselves to realms of revelation about God that we were previously closed to.
So when I began to look for the lessons in my condition, God was able to reveal to me that I just wanted instant healing to get MY work done and meet temporal deadlines. However, God wanted me to stop and refocus my priorities for him and HIS work. God wants me to take each day at a time, build character day by day and to go through my life by drawing on my relationship with him.
Heavenly Father,
I hope I got the lesson or message right.
And I share this now that someone else will get the message.
References:
Bolton, Tuvia. "The Tightrope." Chabad.org Stories. Shabbat, Kislev 11, 5770. November 28, 2009. http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3146/jewish/The-Tightrope.htm
Taub, Dovid. "The Ladder." Stick Figure Vignettes Chabard.org Shabbat, Kislev 11, 5770. November 28, 2009. http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/stick_figures/default_cdo/aid/773649/jewish/The-Ladder.htm
"The Chase." Chabad.org Stories. Shabbat, Kislev 11, 5770. November 28, 2009. http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/1043183/jewish/The-Chase.htm
I missed church (did not want to carry my germs into a public gathering, especially where there are infants and newborn babies.) To keep up with my spiritual food, I decided to visit Chabad.org just to read from their website anything that would impact my Torah understanding.
In one article, I read about a Chassidic practice, "set forth by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov, that "From everything that a person sees or hears, he should derive a lesson in his service of G-d"" (Bolton "Tightrope"). In another article "The Chase" with a consistent belief similar to the aforementioned statement also reminded me that I need to look into my everyday life situation and reflect on them for spiritual lessons. I have not done that all day. Both articles however reinforced that I needed to extract spiritual meaning from my temporal life, so that I can reconnect[or connect] with God. (On this viewpoint, I will need to write an blog entry by itself).
I also viewed Taub's vlog, where a stick man in the video walked up to a ladder with a sign that read "Free Awesome stuff at the top of this ladder". The stick man did not want to climb the ladder, but stepped back, ran up and tried to jump to get to the top of the ladder.
These articles and the video clip that I watched, however, did not become alive with meaning for me until later in the night whilst my wife and daughter were asleep and I was up alone.
It is in this quiet time of solitude that God revealed to me that this illness was a way of getting my attention. He wanted me to reflect on my illness and get the spiritual lessons that he placed in it for me. The illness was indeed my opportunity to pause and do spiritual accounting. God did not just want to heal me immediately, so that I could go back to my extremely busy routine, where i kind of sidelined personal time with God in order to achieve "more urgent and pressing" career goals and objectives.
He wanted me to stop me and get my attention, so that he could get me to refocus. Thus, the first step to doing this was for God to reveal to me the need to focus on the spiritual issues in my condition, and extract from it. It is God's desire that we all look for spiritual meaning from the mundane and temporal. After we do this, we open ourselves to realms of revelation about God that we were previously closed to.
So when I began to look for the lessons in my condition, God was able to reveal to me that I just wanted instant healing to get MY work done and meet temporal deadlines. However, God wanted me to stop and refocus my priorities for him and HIS work. God wants me to take each day at a time, build character day by day and to go through my life by drawing on my relationship with him.
Heavenly Father,
I hope I got the lesson or message right.
And I share this now that someone else will get the message.
References:
Bolton, Tuvia. "The Tightrope." Chabad.org Stories. Shabbat, Kislev 11, 5770. November 28, 2009. http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3146/jewish/The-Tightrope.htm
Taub, Dovid. "The Ladder." Stick Figure Vignettes Chabard.org Shabbat, Kislev 11, 5770. November 28, 2009. http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/stick_figures/default_cdo/aid/773649/jewish/The-Ladder.htm
"The Chase." Chabad.org Stories. Shabbat, Kislev 11, 5770. November 28, 2009. http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/1043183/jewish/The-Chase.htm
Another healing testimony
On November 26, 2009, I was sick with flu-like symptoms. I was very weak that I left work half day, as I was just sleeping away and could not get any work done.
When I arrived home, I had a fever, eye ache and a head ache. I was bed ridden for the rest of the day into the night.
By the night fall I was fed up of my condition, and prayed, calling on the name of the LORD (as revealed in Exodus to Moses in Exodus 34:6 as commpasionate, merciful, long suffering,). I knew that God would have mercy and extend mercy to me, as I have personally been extending mercies to others (for Jesus teaches us so in Matthew 5:7). In addition I just came out of studying Matthew 8 and 9, where God's character being revealed through Jesus was merciful unto all that called on him for help.
After prayer, I received instant revelation that my headache and eyeache had nothing to do with my flu-like condition, but were caused by anxiety and worry. Subconsciously, I was worrying about the deadlines and the entire gamut of tasks that I needed to accomplish for December. These things weighed unconsciously on my subconscious mind.
Immediately after that revelation, I began to sweat. Then my fever came down.
With that revelation I began to try to relax and think about how I could take it easy. This helped as later, my headache and eyeache was gone, and I felt strong again. With this new found strength and joy of receiving an answer to my petition, I got up and went into the kitchen to cook bean stew to eat with the food that my wife cooked earlier in the day. It was delicious. I left some for my wife and continued to sweat while pondering about how I could relax and worry less.
When I arrived home, I had a fever, eye ache and a head ache. I was bed ridden for the rest of the day into the night.
By the night fall I was fed up of my condition, and prayed, calling on the name of the LORD (as revealed in Exodus to Moses in Exodus 34:6 as commpasionate, merciful, long suffering,). I knew that God would have mercy and extend mercy to me, as I have personally been extending mercies to others (for Jesus teaches us so in Matthew 5:7). In addition I just came out of studying Matthew 8 and 9, where God's character being revealed through Jesus was merciful unto all that called on him for help.
After prayer, I received instant revelation that my headache and eyeache had nothing to do with my flu-like condition, but were caused by anxiety and worry. Subconsciously, I was worrying about the deadlines and the entire gamut of tasks that I needed to accomplish for December. These things weighed unconsciously on my subconscious mind.
Immediately after that revelation, I began to sweat. Then my fever came down.
With that revelation I began to try to relax and think about how I could take it easy. This helped as later, my headache and eyeache was gone, and I felt strong again. With this new found strength and joy of receiving an answer to my petition, I got up and went into the kitchen to cook bean stew to eat with the food that my wife cooked earlier in the day. It was delicious. I left some for my wife and continued to sweat while pondering about how I could relax and worry less.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Enjoy the goodness of God in Matthew 8 and 9
I have been reading Matthew with a group on Facebook, and in the process have been feeding my intellect and hopefully my spirit with a greater awareness of who God is, what he is like and how he operates.
Last week, I just completed and really enjoyed Matthew 8. Quintessentially, this chapter focuses on God's goodness. Nobody's prayer or request in Chapter 8 was denied. All who asked, even when they doubted God's favour got what they wished, including those who asked Jesus to leave their coast.
I loved that entire passage, as through it, we see a God who answers prayers through the intercession of his son and the will of his son. Here, Jesus not only granted people what they desired, but he also granted demons their desires as shown by him giving them permission to enter into swine.
As such it was a lovely passage of revealing the royalty, kingship and authority of Jesus, whose mission was and is to be entreated of and petitioned by people for favours.
The revelation and representation that Jesus gave of his Heavenly Father, God the Father, reflects one of God being a God of goodness, wanting to be entreated of and petitioned by people for favours. It also reflected that God wants to help and satisfy the needs and wishes of all his human subjects for improvement of their condition.
I also want to pull out some puzzling ideas based on Jesus' interaction with demons. Jesus was seen by the demons as being their tormentor/punisher. They asked him if he came to torment them before their time (Matthew 8 : 29).
Then they requested that Jesus send them into swines and used the bodies of the swines to go into the sea.
This act made an entire village forbid Jesus to enter into their city, as these people were perhaps afraid of losing their livelihood. The whole event made it seem as the demons used this prevent the people from being willing to listen to Jesus.
Jesus being the gentleman that he is, gave them their request and left their coast.
Chapter 9 exhibits the contrasting levels of faith by people in God. Some persons believed that they could just touch Jesus without asking him to get their miracle. Others believed that Jesus need to come into their house and touch them in order to get their miracle.
What this tells me is that God is so good to us no matter what our level of faith is. Some of us do not have to ask/petition God before our wish is granted. We just believe in our hearts, and God acts on that belief without us asking.
Others want to audibly ask God.
While others want God to work in a certain way before they are satisfied that he answers their prayers.
May you be like one who has a high level of faith, recognising that God is inherently good and wants to grant you favour today and every other day. May you know that he awaits for your petition and faith to do something spectacular for you to improve your condition. If he granted the wishes of rebellious demons and people who had little faith, what would make him not want to grant your wishes for a betterment of your condition.
God's blessings.
Last week, I just completed and really enjoyed Matthew 8. Quintessentially, this chapter focuses on God's goodness. Nobody's prayer or request in Chapter 8 was denied. All who asked, even when they doubted God's favour got what they wished, including those who asked Jesus to leave their coast.
I loved that entire passage, as through it, we see a God who answers prayers through the intercession of his son and the will of his son. Here, Jesus not only granted people what they desired, but he also granted demons their desires as shown by him giving them permission to enter into swine.
As such it was a lovely passage of revealing the royalty, kingship and authority of Jesus, whose mission was and is to be entreated of and petitioned by people for favours.
The revelation and representation that Jesus gave of his Heavenly Father, God the Father, reflects one of God being a God of goodness, wanting to be entreated of and petitioned by people for favours. It also reflected that God wants to help and satisfy the needs and wishes of all his human subjects for improvement of their condition.
I also want to pull out some puzzling ideas based on Jesus' interaction with demons. Jesus was seen by the demons as being their tormentor/punisher. They asked him if he came to torment them before their time (Matthew 8 : 29).
Then they requested that Jesus send them into swines and used the bodies of the swines to go into the sea.
This act made an entire village forbid Jesus to enter into their city, as these people were perhaps afraid of losing their livelihood. The whole event made it seem as the demons used this prevent the people from being willing to listen to Jesus.
Jesus being the gentleman that he is, gave them their request and left their coast.
Chapter 9 exhibits the contrasting levels of faith by people in God. Some persons believed that they could just touch Jesus without asking him to get their miracle. Others believed that Jesus need to come into their house and touch them in order to get their miracle.
What this tells me is that God is so good to us no matter what our level of faith is. Some of us do not have to ask/petition God before our wish is granted. We just believe in our hearts, and God acts on that belief without us asking.
Others want to audibly ask God.
While others want God to work in a certain way before they are satisfied that he answers their prayers.
May you be like one who has a high level of faith, recognising that God is inherently good and wants to grant you favour today and every other day. May you know that he awaits for your petition and faith to do something spectacular for you to improve your condition. If he granted the wishes of rebellious demons and people who had little faith, what would make him not want to grant your wishes for a betterment of your condition.
God's blessings.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Cross or Candlestick Part 1
For years now, a seed sowed by the Jehovah Witnesses has been germinating in my spirit, until for the past months it has borne fruit.
I have received the revelation that the cross, the symbol that the church always uses to represent Christianity is not a Biblical accurate symbol.
I faintly remember where I read in a Watch Tower an argument that Jesus died on a tree or a crucifix and not a cross. I do not even know which Watch Tower I read it in or which Awake Magazine.
However, while I will not entertain arguments on whether or not Jesus died on a cross or crucifix, the message is clear to me that the symbol that God would have his church be represented with is not a cross. The correct symbol of the churches is the candles stick or menorah which is a Jewish symbol, especially for Hanukkah.
For instance in Matthew 5, Jesus uses the symbol of a candle stick. Matthew 5:15 (King James Version) says:
Even in the book of Revelations, the churches are represented by candlesticks and not crosses. Revelation 1:20 (King James Version)states:
With this evidence, why is it that we Christians today do not use the candlestick, but use instead the cross to symbolise Christianity? Is it because the Jews use the menorah or candle stick as symbol of their religion, that we feel the need to differentiate ourselves by taking up a symbol that is also associated with the pagan God - Tammuz? (Ezekiel 8:14)
The crucifix and cross is tradition of men, and not based on Biblical symbolism. It comes from Roman Christianity, which is tainted with corruption and paganism. It comes from Constantine, who was told in a dream/vision, "in this sign, conquer" ("In hoc signo vinces").
Today, evidence of the paganism of the sign of the cross is coming to fore. I see people wearing black crosses, or upside down crosses or the death rune (which is a broken cross), or the ankh, the crosses with the pointed edges. Some even wear crosses with images of a man on it suffering. Some people think that these crosses are even Christian, but they are all cursed, and symbols of idolatry. (Which is why Satanists wear them and witches use them in magical rituals.)
The Bible in contrast, uses the candlesticks to represent the church and the people of God. The cross is not a symbol of the Church. It is a symbol of suffering or burden. So I am not saying that the Bible does not use the cross as a symbol. The Bible does use the cross, but it is as a symbol of humility, suffering and self-denial.
So if we want to observe tradition of men and use a symbol that the Bible does not use to represent God's people, the cross is fine. However, we should use it appropriately and truthfully to represent what it really means - suffering, shame, humility, and self-denial.
However, our God wants his people to see themselves as light in a dark world, reflecting his glory and the candlestick is his symbol of choice as a symbol of his people, his nation or community of priests.
References:
"In hoc signo vinces." (2009, October 28). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:14, November 1, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=In_hoc_signo_vinces&oldid=322615205
I have received the revelation that the cross, the symbol that the church always uses to represent Christianity is not a Biblical accurate symbol.
I faintly remember where I read in a Watch Tower an argument that Jesus died on a tree or a crucifix and not a cross. I do not even know which Watch Tower I read it in or which Awake Magazine.
However, while I will not entertain arguments on whether or not Jesus died on a cross or crucifix, the message is clear to me that the symbol that God would have his church be represented with is not a cross. The correct symbol of the churches is the candles stick or menorah which is a Jewish symbol, especially for Hanukkah.
For instance in Matthew 5, Jesus uses the symbol of a candle stick. Matthew 5:15 (King James Version) says:
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Even in the book of Revelations, the churches are represented by candlesticks and not crosses. Revelation 1:20 (King James Version)states:
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.
With this evidence, why is it that we Christians today do not use the candlestick, but use instead the cross to symbolise Christianity? Is it because the Jews use the menorah or candle stick as symbol of their religion, that we feel the need to differentiate ourselves by taking up a symbol that is also associated with the pagan God - Tammuz? (Ezekiel 8:14)
The crucifix and cross is tradition of men, and not based on Biblical symbolism. It comes from Roman Christianity, which is tainted with corruption and paganism. It comes from Constantine, who was told in a dream/vision, "in this sign, conquer" ("In hoc signo vinces").
Today, evidence of the paganism of the sign of the cross is coming to fore. I see people wearing black crosses, or upside down crosses or the death rune (which is a broken cross), or the ankh, the crosses with the pointed edges. Some even wear crosses with images of a man on it suffering. Some people think that these crosses are even Christian, but they are all cursed, and symbols of idolatry. (Which is why Satanists wear them and witches use them in magical rituals.)
The Bible in contrast, uses the candlesticks to represent the church and the people of God. The cross is not a symbol of the Church. It is a symbol of suffering or burden. So I am not saying that the Bible does not use the cross as a symbol. The Bible does use the cross, but it is as a symbol of humility, suffering and self-denial.
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.(Matthew 16:24)
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
But 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)
So if we want to observe tradition of men and use a symbol that the Bible does not use to represent God's people, the cross is fine. However, we should use it appropriately and truthfully to represent what it really means - suffering, shame, humility, and self-denial.
However, our God wants his people to see themselves as light in a dark world, reflecting his glory and the candlestick is his symbol of choice as a symbol of his people, his nation or community of priests.
References:
"In hoc signo vinces." (2009, October 28). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22:14, November 1, 2009, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=In_hoc_signo_vinces&oldid=322615205
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