The Cross As A Desirable Symbol In our world today the cross is an esteemed symbol. One of the favorite hymns of my parents’ generation was “The Old Rugged Cross.”  Many people wear crosses, hang them on walls in their homes, display them in stained glass windows and make the sign of the cross when praying. That isn’t how those who lived in Jesus’ day thought of it. For them the very word “cross” was ugly and distasteful.  Cicero, a Roman philosopher and politician, decried the crucifixion of a Roman citizen, exclaiming, “The very word ‘cross’ should be far removed ...