I am reminded all the time that when Jesus told his followers to "take up their cross" in order to follow him, it wasn't some symbolic gesture. It was literally signing up to be killed. The cross in his day was not some symbolic image used to represent Jesus. It was the method of a torturing death. To sign up to follow Jesus, was to accept the fact that death for your beliefs was probable. In our culture today it's acceptable to believe the total opposite- that if you love Jesus, then everything will be ok- he'll "be with us" and "keep us safe". And that's just NOT what he promised.

Am I STILL willing to follow Him? If there's a cross involved?