The Fate of the Cross

Sitting inward an airdrome late for several hours - a perfectly smart, pleasant, efficient airdrome - I had occasion to hold off some in addition to realise something. Not exclusively could I direct maintain been inward close whatever province of the world, in addition to so I was inward some feel "nowhere", but I was inward a infinite where signs predominated over symbols. Everywhere I looked at that spot were signs: pictures, advertisements, instructions, those piffling "icons" that say yous where the toilets are, or basis transportation. But the whole house had been constructed amongst absolutely no sensitivity to the natural symbolism of shape in addition to break in addition to light. Of course, that didn't hateful that symbolism had been eliminated, only that it was inadvertent. The modern basis tends to eliminate symbolism, because symbols, different signs, signal us to something exterior this world, something deeper in addition to to a greater extent than existent than toilets, or things to buy.

The concluding elimination of symbols that verbalize of the transcendent has non nonetheless taken place, but the recent judgement of the Court of Human Rights that Italian schools must take away crucifixes from their walls shows that the combat is intensifying. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 crucifix may move treated every bit a sign, inward which illustration it points to the social phenomenon of Christianity, much every bit a Union Jack represents the United Kingdom. This is how it is existence treated past times the Court - every bit the flag of Christianity. But the crucifix is also a concatenation of symbols, a symbol par excellence, the symbol of symbols. In a way, the laid on on the crucifix is itself symbolic - of an laid on on symbols inward our culture.

It is to a greater extent than of import than e'er that our pedagogy should order especial attending to cultivating the symbolic imagination. James Taylor's Poetic Knowledge is a helpful resource. What he calls "poetic knowledge" is the intuitive, tacit, connatural agency of knowing that tends to move neglected inward the pursuit of mere information. Catechesis, too, needs to direct maintain to a greater extent than describe of piece of job organisation human relationship of the symbolic dimension of scripture in addition to the sacraments. More on that some other time.

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