Symbols, Inc.

“Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18 and 19)

The Apostle Paul believed that we are never to consider ministry as “our own.” In his second letter to the Corinthians, he reminds his readers that, through Christian faith, all are part of a new creation. We are a radically transformed order where Christ’s love, instituted through the cross, governs all perception and every action. The “ministry of reconciliation” is to be understood as that for which Christ’s love claims the whole believing community, and the “word” of reconciliation is the Gospel itself: God’s saving power made present through the cross.

“You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.” (Acts 2:28)

St. Peter quotes this verse in his sermon on the day of Pentecost. The words come from King David, who speaks of the undying love and continued presence of God as a promise of divine commitment.

This cross is called the Companion Cross because as we walk the many paths that make up our way of life, we walk in the promise that Christ has given us of his continued presence. Often, as we encounter people upon these pathways, we are struck with the knowledge that we are in the presence of Christ – in a word that they speak, a prayer that is shared, or a teaching that helps us to better know Jesus. These companions may be family, friends, or brief encounters with a stranger. The cross is designed to portray these crossing pathways that we walk with Christ as our companion, and those who become our companions with Christ.

Give this as a gift to yourself or to a friend as a reminder of the continuing presence of Christ’s companionship in our journey through Life. Or give it as a graduation, confirmation, or wedding anniversary gift. It can also be a gift to someone who has shown themselves to be a “Companion with Christ,” and will be treasured for many years to come.