There are some things that can only be seen if you take a bird’s-eye view.

It’s only when you look down from a great height that you realize that the artificial island of Palm Jumeirah in Dubai is designed to resemble a palm tree.

You only really get a sense of why the Pentagon was given its name when you view this building from above and see its five-sided shape.

Someone at ground level in Nazca, Peru, might completely miss the fact that the lines etched into the desert sands at their feet actually form massive shapes of animals and plants. The full designs can only be seen from up high.

Similarly, it might not be obvious to you when entering certain churches that the outline of the building itself forms a cross when viewed from above.

Many European cathedrals feature a cross-shaped floor plan. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is prime example of a cruciform building.

I like to think that when God looks down at these buildings from above, it pleases Him to see a cross reflected back at Him.

Here’s a question for you:

When God looks down from above at your life, does He see the Cross reflected in how you live? How “cruciform” is your life?

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

As we approach Easter, let’s examine ourselves to see how well we’re living out the gospel message.

Perhaps we need to do a bit of remodelling so that our lives are more closely shaped to Christ’s example!

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to
be my disciple must deny themselves and
take up their cross and follow me.’ ”

matthew 16:24

© 2025 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.