The fourth of the Old Testament promises providing a baptismal lens this Lent is the promise God makes to Moses: those who look on the bronze serpent will live. In this week’s gospel Jesus says he will be lifted up on the cross like the serpent, so that those who look to him in faith will live. When we receive the sign of the cross in baptism, that cross becomes the sign we can look to in faith for healing. Our world and our lives include darkness and sin, evil and brokenness. But God’s love for us and for the world is complete, passionate, and sacrificial. Instead of condemning all that is not pleasing, “God so loved the world that he gave his only son.” The light of God’s love shining down from the cross demonstrates the totality of God’s love and proclaims God’s desire to transform the dark places in this world into places of light, love, and salvation.
Image: Metal sculpture of a crucifix against an overcast sky in Ourem Municipality, Santarem District, Portugal by Keith Levit/Brand B. Copyright © 2023 Alamy Stock Photo. Used by permission.