The Rooster

A friend of mine recently went on a river cruise through Europe. He told me of the incredible churches that they saw and also pointed out that many of the churches had a rooster sitting on top of the cross atop the steeple. I’ve never noticed this before but was interested in digging in on why.

I discovered that there were multiple reasons that churches made reference to the rooster, In some cultures, the rooster’s habit of crowing at the dawning of each new morning made it a symbol of the Christian’s victory of light over darkness and the triumph of life over death. Other churches see in the rooster’s heralding of a new day a symbol of the church’s responsibility to proclaim the message of Christ to a darkened world. Some see the rooster as a symbol of Christ Himself, the One whose coming brought the true light to the world. It is the rooster who announces the morning, and it is Christ who announced an end to spiritual darkness.

The most universal “rooster reference” would be Peter’s denial of Christ. The Gospels record Jesus telling Peter, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” Peter was astounded to hear Jesus make this prediction and then was distraught when it came true. As such, the rooster serves as a visual reminded that we are not to deny the existence of Christ.

Like Peter, we may be shocked at the notion that we could ever have such a denial. However, if we think about this a little deeper, we might realize that we can be guilty of the same thing. To deny knowing someone is to refuse to acknowledge a connection with them. In Peter's case, he refused to acknowledge that he was a disciple of Christ. Since Christ is no longer physically walking on earth today, Christians can deny knowing him in their attitudes, behaviors, words, actions, and even lifestyles.

Not talking about openly about our faith - We talk about the things we love, that excite us and that mean a lot to us – our faith should be no different. Jesus told his disciples, "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven,” Matthew 10:32-33. Just because we might have never vocally renounced our beliefs, doesn't mean that we've never denied Jesus. Not speaking out can be just as much a form of denial.

Not defending elements of our faith because of what others may think - When we're put in a position where we have to defend certain elements of our faith, a refusal to do so can be a form of indirect denial. Peter denied Jesus because he was afraid to be associated with him at a time when Jesus was in danger and close to death. He was afraid of what people might have said about him or done to him if he admitted that he was one of Jesus' disciples. Just like Peter, we can also avoid associating ourselves with particular aspects of our faith in situations where we're faced with unfavorable consequences.

Denying Christ through our acts and words - Our lives should reflect the impact Jesus has had on us. This doesn't mean that everything is perfect, but it does mean that we should try to live as followers of Christ. Do our actions match up with Jesus' teaching? Do we love your neighbor? If our words and conduct are in opposition to how Jesus lived and taught his followers to live, then we're denying him through our behavior.

The rooster is a good reminder of Christ’s victory over darkness and to seek to live as “imitators of Christ” while we wait for His return.

Stay Hungry,

Big E

Matt. 5:6