by WILL MILLIGAN
WEDNESDAY night, September 10 marked a celebration for the Ipswich Lutheran Parish and community leaders as their inspirational landmark, the ‘Cross light on the Hill’ reclaimed its prominence over the city’s nightscape.
To Christians, the cross is the primary symbol of their faith, representing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the subsequent salvation and redemption of humanity.
It signifies God’s love, the sacrifice of his Son, and the triumph over sin and death, offering the promise of forgiveness and eternal life.
The cross also symbolises the hardships Christians may face, inviting them to unite their struggles with Jesus’ passion and offering a way to profess their faith, pray, and be blessed.
Our restored Cross had been removed five weeks earlier for a refurbishment as 64 years of weather had taken its toll.
Local contractors were managed through Proctor Constructions Group to complete the project and heartfelt relief was expressed when the Cross was lifted and secured back in place. That is, until a member asked ‘Why does the Cross face the wrong way?’.
I think Brian Proctor stopped breathing until he realised he was the brunt of some light-hearted Aussie banter.
The cross is now fitted with opaque laminated glass, defused LED lighting and specialised flexible sealants. St John’s members are hoping that it will be there for at least another 64 years welcoming visitors, guests and members to our Church family and also to show our community where our Christian family can be found.
When the Cross was being refurbished, it was very surprising to receive a number of messages from our community making enquires seeking assurance the Cross was going to light our landscape again.
We also received an urgent call from a local Aged Care facility passing on residents’ requests to have the light turned on again as they enjoyed their night prayers with the Cross light shining.
At this point, St John’s were inspired to do something special for our community, by installing a range of coloured lights within the cross which can be used to represent our liturgical seasons during the Christian Year.
Liturgical seasonal colours season are: White for Easter and Christmas, symbolising joy and purity; Red for Pentecost and the deaths of martyrs, symbolising blood and fire; Green for ordinary time, symbolising hope and growth; and Purple/Violet for Advent and Lent, symbolising penance, waiting, and expectation.
For the Ipswich regional community, please enjoy our restored ‘Cross light on the Hill’ as we look forward to welcoming and hearing from you soon.
