Madonna, the singer, has been offering COVID-19 encouragement on social media. The latest one was delivered naked from her bathtub filled with rose petals. She said about the virus, “It doesn’t care about how rich you are, how famous you are, how funny you are, how smart you are, where you live, how old you are, what amazing stories you can tell. It’s the great equalizer, and what’s terrible about it is what’s great about it. What’s terrible about it is it’s made us all equal in many ways – and what’s wonderful about it is it’s made us all equal in many ways.”
I’m glad Madonna is trying to keep us all positive, good for her. I’m not sure though that any other of us are offering our encouragement to the world while sitting naked in a tub full of rose petals. And while I agree with her that the virus doesn’t have any preference or feelings for whom it infects, I disagree that it is “the” great equalizer. That place of preeminence has already been claimed by “The Cross of Christ Jesus” and He’s not about to relinquish it to a virus.
At the cross, everyone comes the same way– spiritually bankrupt, with nothing to offer, on our faces, begging for mercy. We don’t bring our achievements or lack thereof. We can’t offer our money, our homes, our fancy cars. The cross cares not about our intelligence nor our social standing nor our talents nor gifts. The cross doesn’t care if we sing like an angel or croak like a frog.
The cross only cares that we are broken and in need. We come, equally unable to save ourselves and our God in Christ provides us with everything we need for eternal life.
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in [Jesus], and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” [Col 1:19-20 NIV]
The Cross of Christ = The Greatest Equalizer for All of Time and Eternity.
