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       Do you know that Christ is like a fork in the road of life? His very presence in the world demands a decision. Where Jesus is concerned, there is no such thing as neutrality. We must be for Him or else we are against Him.  Each one of us must make up our mind to go through life either with Him or without Him.

      To some people that may seem an inconsequential matter.  For them it is only a question of religious preference.  One person chooses Christianity.

       Another person chooses some other religion and still another chooses no religion at all.  In their minds, what does it really matter?  So, a person decides to leave Jesus out, will that decision make a difference in the quality and content, success or failure of his or her over-all-life?

      There are those that would argue that the answer to that question is no.  And I suppose there are some areas where perhaps that argument would hold true. Finances, for example.  While Jesus can make a big   difference in the way we make money and how we spend it, the fact remains that we can make money with Him or without Him.

     The same can be said in the social realm.  You can leave Jesus out and still be liked by all the important people and get invited to the important functions. Certainly, the headlines in recent times prove this point!    In fact, there are times when a serious Christian commitment can be a definite social hindrance.

     So, you see, there are certain areas of life where perhaps it could be argued that it doesn’t matter whether we go with Jesus or without Him.  But for anyone who may be considering that same choice, beware!  There is one question that we need to factor in:  If we leave Jesus out of our lives, what will we do with the very real fact of sin?

     A common denominator of all our lives is an awareness of our moral failure.  At times we manage to ignore it.  At other times we tell jokes about it to make it seem less serious.  Some even try to explain it in a way as a religious hangover.  If only we would get rid of our stuffy ideas about morality and ethics, then   everyone would be whole and healthy and happy – at least, that’s what they say.

     The problem is that none of those things seem to work.  However, much we ignore, or laugh, or rationalize them away, we still know it.  In the dark of the night, we still have to live with the truth that we have hurt or cheated or abused another human being.  And if we ever get to the place that we can live with that truth and not care, we’re in serious moral trouble.  As long as we are bothered by it, there is hope.

    So, what do we do about it? Jesus had a simple but very searching answer – return to God and seek  forgiveness.  He taught us to pray, “forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”  That isn’t easy, nor is it fun. But is does work.  Returning to God and seeking forgiveness is the only thing in the world that really takes care of our sin problem.  That is the business that Jesus is in and the business that He has entrusted to His Church.

     The primary mission of the Church is salvation from sin, and we need that most of all.  The Christian cross symbolized an awesome truth.  It tells us that behind this vast universe is a loving Father who cares, and understands, and forgives.

     Jesus put this truth into the parable of the Prodigal Son.  It was about a rebellious person, who left home and made an awful mess of his life.  He ended up dead broke, very hungry, and all alone. ~Do you know someone like that? ~Finally, he decided to take a chance on going back home.  It was the best decision of his life. When he came within view of the house, he saw his father running to meet him – not walking but running.

     The Christian cross is forever a symbol of that.  It tells us that God is our Father and that He will never stop loving us, no matter what we do. He is always there and ever eager to accept, to forgive and to save.  Let us spend more time reflecting on this truth!