This Cross Has 3 Bars. The Third One Is Why Men Are Coming Back To God.

Tens of thousands of men are leaving Evangelical churches and walking into Orthodox ones. The New York Times noticed. And I think one symbol explains everything. The NYT ran a story last November: Orthodox church pews are overflowing with converts — 60% of them are men. Meanwhile, men are only 46% of the attendance at Evangelical churches. That gap doesn't happen by accident. I break down the three-bar Orthodox cross — the symbol most people walk right past without thinking twice. Once you understand what each of those three bars actually means, you won't be able to look at any cross the same way again. The top bar is the Titulus. The sign Pontius Pilate had nailed above Jesus' head — King of the Jews. The chief priests objected. Pilate said, "What I have written, I have written." (John 19:22) The middle bar is the cross beam — the center of history. The bottom bar is the slanted footrest — and it is the most honest theological declaration in the entire history of Christian iconography. Luke 23. Two thieves. One believes. One doesn't. The right side points up. The left side points down. It is a scale of justice. And it demands a response from you. To walk through an Orthodox door is to stand for a two-to-three hour liturgy. To fast 180 days a year as a spiritual discipline. To confess out loud — to another person — what you did and what you were thinking when you did it. Matthew 16:24 — "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Men are built for hard things. The question is whether the church is still willing to ask that of them. Find Jesus. Fight culture. Spread the good news. 0:00 The Symbol Most People Walk Right Past 1:32 Why Men Are Running Right Now 4:32 The King Was On That Cross 6:49 The Scale Of Justice 9:26 What You're Actually Signing Up For 11:36 The Original Invitation