During my recent weaving class, the documentation provided included the phrase, “The Cross is Boss.” I had to do a double-take when I saw it! My mind first thought of the Cross of Jesus, not the weaving term. In pondering it a bit, I think the cross in weaving is a good metaphor for the cross in Christianity.

Before even touching a loom to weave, first the loom must be dressed or warped. In measuring out the warp threads, the most common tool to use is a warping board. As each warp thread is measured out onto the pegs of the board, a figure eight is completed by passing the yarn from the top of one peg to below the next peg. This is only done in one area of the board and the over/under is called the cross. Very careful consideration is given this area of the warp, in fact you can call it the focal point when warping the loom. When the measured warp is brought to the loom, it is the careful placement of the yarns in order from the cross that is then threaded through the heddles and reed so that weaving can begin. It’s the cross that shows the alignment of the yarn, no matter how long the warp is. It is the cross that is the guide for tying on the warp so that it is even and straight. Loose the cross and everything is a mess. Can you still weave without it? Maybe, but the tension will be off and the whole fabric product will not turn out stable or consistent, not to mention that the warp threads will be a tangled mess of spaghetti. The cross really is the boss when it comes to warping the loom. 

So what does the cross in weaving have to do with Christianity? Well, similar to weaving, we need to keep our eyes on the cross of Jesus. It serves as a foundation for our lives if we want to have a relationship with Him. When we recognize the cross, we are called to realize our sins  and that Jesus doesn’t want us to wallow in the sinful world that we know, but rather to rise up with Him as a new creation imitating the love He shares with us all. We are called to be humble when we face persecution. We are called to forgiveness and mercy when others wrong us. We are called to give God our all, our entire self. And, perhaps most importantly, is that God loves us so much, there is no where we can go that His Love cannot reach. On the cross, Jesus is both the guide to help us take a step forward, as well as the hand to help us up when we fall. 

How many of us chafe against having the cross as boss of our lives? How many times do we want to do what we want, rather than letting the cross lead us? Are we too afraid that it will be too painful or that we won’t like it? Yet like the cross in weaving, if we loose the cross we end up misaligned and our lives are like a poor piece of fabric… uneven and practically falling apart. Let us seek the cross of Jesus as our boss, welcoming its guidance and corrections to make us be the best versions of ourselves.