SPLIT A PIECE OF WOOD
AND I AM THERE

– Gospel of Thomas, saying 77

Sal LaRosa’s work often leaves me awestruck, and this little book of visual meditations focused on the Cross is no exception. For Christians through the centuries, the Cross has represented reconciliation and redemption: Jesus’ gift of love to deepen the relationship of human beings with God and with one another. The Cross reminds us that nothing, in life or death, can separate us from God’s love.
For many of us on the front lines of justice, trying to nurture movements with many partners, this book offers a counterbalance: the possibility of focus and nurture for our own souls. It reminds us that God is at work through us, offering life and hope amidst the struggle. We give thanks for Sal’s friendship, faithfulness, and brilliance, which have made this publication possible, and we offer it to you in this Lenten season with our blessing.

— Katharine Henderson
President, Auburn Seminary

The Cross has always been with me. Some of my earliest memories involve waking up under the crucifix hung protectively above my bed. Decades into my architectural career, when I also began to create artifacts, the shape of a cross worked its way into my sketches for those designs. Study and reflection have broadened my understanding of this icon as an emblem revered by many cultures, from Antiquity to the present. The Cross transcends specific religious beliefs. It signifies a journey of redemption and resurrection—be it spiritual or secular, communal or solitary—that can take any number of pathways toward the ineffable.

—Salvatore LaRosa