THE CROSS IS
NOT A HEX SIGN
I grew up in the heart of
Pennsylvania Dutch country. Lancaster
County, Pennsylvania, has taught me much.
I appreciate the culture and the history of this area, which I still
live in, and it is fair to say I am a Pennsylvania Dutchman. My father’s family came to Philadelphia from
Baden Wurttemberg, Germany in 1737. My
mother’s family, of Swiss-German heritage, arrived shortly after that in
1743. Both clans settled almost
immediately in Northern Lancaster County.
The Pennsylvania Dutch culture –
more accurately, Pennsylvania German – is a very broad term that includes many
nuances. It also covers a wide variety
of people. I tend to think of the
Pennsylvania Dutch as primarily Anabaptists, that is, Mennonites, Amish, or
Brethren. But this sub-group only
represents a small segment of the Pennsylvania Dutch. German speaking Lutherans, Reformed, and
Moravians are very much a part, too. Neither
is it just confined to Lancaster County.
Berks, Lebanon, York, Lehigh, and Schuylkill Counties all lay claim to the label of
Pennsylvania Dutch. For many folks, Kutztown,
in Berks County, is the epicenter of PA Dutch Country.
Religious traditions aside, another
trait of the Pennsylvania Dutch is the hex sign. Beautiful, colorful and artistic, these
wonderful works of art decorate the landscape throughout central Pennsylvania. If I am correct the hex sign originated as a
decorative, six-pointed star within a circle – hence the name “hex” (Greek for
six). Some sources suggest the name
comes from a German word “hexafoo” which means “witch’s foot”.
Over time many variations evolved,
including stars with four, five, eight and even sixteen points – each with
their own meaning. Additionally, other
images were included. Birds, flowers,
hearts and more can be found as part of the hex sign tradition. For the most part, hex signs are an
expression of folk art, much like fraktur.
But for some they are rooted in superstitions and magic. Certain designs were supposedly intended to
bring good luck, prosperity, health, good crops or fertility. Some supposedly would ward off evil spirits. These ideas, regardless of authenticity,
benefited from promotion through the tourist industry.
All of this brings me the point of
this post. I just do not understand why
some churches are returning to in-person worship in the midst of this pandemic. In my opinion this is a huge mistake. I understand there is a strong desire to
fellowship together. However, the
Christian Church should be compassionate and devoted to serving the needs of
others. It is to be a healing agent in a
world of pain and brokenness. Christians
are called to follow the servant-motif of their Master, Jesus Christ. I am having great difficulty reconciling
these goals with what I consider to be the reckless act of worshiping in person
during the age of COVID-19 and thereby putting the health and lives of others
at great risk. I believe the facts
indicate that the nation is reopening much too soon. COVID-19 is on the rise in many areas
following the relaxation of restrictions.
Right here in Pennsylvania Dutch
Country we have a fairly large number of congregations that have reopened for
worship even though we in Lancaster County have just recently moved to Yellow
Phase. Yellow is a step down from the
more prohibitive Red Phase, but many restrictions remain in place.
·
Face masks are still to be worn in public
·
Social distancing of a minimum 6 feet is to be
observed
·
Telework must be continued when feasible
·
Large gatherings of more than 25 persons is
prohibited
There are additional details, but these are the ones that
most strongly apply to church services, I feel.
Notice all four of these restrictions should apply to church
gatherings. Especially consider the last
two. “Telework must be continued when
feasible”. This suggests that
congregations should do live streaming over in-person services. And there is no way getting around the fourth
point: “Large gatherings of more than
25 persons is prohibited”. That is
self-explanatory.
Now, I know that houses of worship
are given certain exemptions. Here in
Pennsylvania, at least, the Department of Health has decided to offer these restrictions
as recommendations for faith communities, rather than as mandates. However, that does not excuse Christians from
acting responsibly. What kind of witness
are we presenting by defying science, living recklessly, and endangering
others?
The
Christian Church has a long history of doing right by others. Relationships, both within the church
community and without, are to be respected and enhanced. This is why I cannot understand the decision
to put people at risk by holding in-person worship services at this time. To do so not only puts the worshiper at risk
of exposure to COVID-19, but also everyone that worshiper comes into contact
with the rest of the week is now potentially exposed to the virus. This is especially dangerous considering a
person my be positive for the coronavirus and be asymptomatic at the same time. In other words, they may have the virus and not
know it. What kind of compassion and
respect for one’s neighbor is this? I do
not understand.
In this age
of technology many - - most - - congregations have learned to offer worship
services through live streaming. Even
small congregations have mastered this technology. I am finding live streaming to be extremely
rewarding and meaningful. We are so
fortunate to have this ability. Given
this fact, we can still worship God and do so together without gathering in the
same room. Is it the same as an
in-person experience? No, but it is not
a bad alternative. We hear the same sermon, the same
announcements, the same prayers. Some
congregations include an option for members to join a chat connected to their
broadcast, which allows for conversation and keeping in touch. Above all we should remember that this is
only a temporary measure. So, what is
the problem here?
I am
reminded of how the Children of Judah learned that they could still worship God
after their temple was destroyed and many of the citizens were
taken into Exile by Babylon. They were
scattered across the vast Empire and forced to labor as slaves. Yet they could still worship God and nurture
their spiritual lives, even if they had to do so individually. Paul, Silas, Peter and John the Revelator
continued to worship God and preach to their fellow believers even while they
were in prison. How much more fortunate
are we that we can worship and encourage one another and remain united as a
body of faith – even if we are doing so in the confines of our homes.
I suppose I
could possibly accept some form of corporate, in-person worship if basic safety
precautions were carefully observed. But
I fear that is not the case, generally.
Right here in Ephrata, the congregation that I grew up in and in which I
was baptized, married, licensed to the ministry and ordained, this same
congregation began worshiping in person while we were still in Red Phase. I watched the first few weeks of services
online and I was shocked to hear the Pastor begin by telling everyone present
to feel free to remove their masks! In
one service he later coughed right into his bare hand. This is outrageous! This pastor is putting all of his congregants
and the entire community at risk. He is
an intelligent man. But he and the
Leadership Team have made a terrible choice to reopen. He claims that Churches are considered “essential”
and are exempt from government oversight with regards to health issues. I do not know who he thinks he is kidding,
but he is tragically mistaken.
This Pastor
is certainly not alone. This rebellious
spirit of defiance is quite common in Christian circles. It seems like many of these people see the
Cross as a hex sign. That is to say,
they appear to believe that because there is a cross on the top or the side of
the building they will be protected from the evil spirit of coronavirus. What they are really saying is this: I need to be careful and wear a mask in
public if I go to the grocery store, or get gasoline for my car, or go to work,
or…. You fill in the blank. But, I do
not need a mask or any other precautions when I go to Church because I am
covered by the Cross of Jesus Christ.
Huh? Somebody ‘splain that to me, please. I am protected from all harm just because
there is a cross in sight? Jesus does
not protect me anywhere else I go, but when I cross the threshold of the Holy
of Holies, I am protected? I don’t think
so. Such logic is nothing more than
superstition and idolatry. I am sorry,
but the coronavirus does not run and hide from the sign of the cross like a
vampire.
In 1970 the
Philadelphia Phillies were having a difficult season. They were struck by an unusually high number
of injuries that year. In one game they
lost both of their catchers to broken bones - - in the same inning! They called up two replacements from their
minor league system and both of them went down with injuries, too. In desperation the team reactivated their
bullpen coach, a retired major league catcher, and forced him into active
duty. Things were so bad that the team
hired a man from Lancaster County to paint three hex signs on the roof of their
dugout in Connie Mack Stadium in hopes of protecting the team against further
injury. It may have been a joke, or a
publicity stunt, or perhaps an act of desperation – who knows? But the facts speak for themselves. The team continued to struggle with
additional injuries and defeats throughout the season. The Phillies ended that season mercifully with
a record of 73 wins and 88 losses, buried in 5th place in the
National League Eastern Division. In
fact, they were only one of three teams in the entire National League to post a
losing record that year. The other two
were the Montreal Expos and the San Diego Padres – both were expansion teams
that year, playing their very first season.
Up until then the Phillies had been in existence 87 years. During that time they had won a total of two
National League championships and zero World Series. In a sense, the futile efforts of 1970 proved
to be a fitting way to end their tenure in Connie Mack Stadium, previously
known as Shibe Park. The team moved to
brand new Veterans Stadium the next year.
Hex signs did not help the fortunes
of the 1970 Phillies. The reason is
simple: baseball games are won or lost
depending on how the players perform.
Athletes train endlessly and hone their skills. A team with limited talent will have limited
success. Fancy, colorful paintings
cannot affect the outcome. Likewise,
Christians cannot improve their spiritual life or their relationship with God
simply by walking into a building that displays a cross. Rather, it is what is in your mind and your
heart that counts. It’s how you treat
your brother, your sister, and what Jesus called “the least of these”. There are no shortcuts to salvation.
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