" Imagine if the electric chair or gas chamber had people kneeling around it with no thought of the horrific purpose it once held! But in effect, this is exactly what happened with the cross. No other religion in history has ever used an emblem of horror for its enduring brand.

Whether we want to or not, all of us must pick up some kind of cross and follow Jesus into suffering. "

― T.D. Jakes , Crushing: It's Not the End!