My grandfather was a very religious man.  He became an elder at the church we attended, and lived his faith until he died of MS at the age of 69.  He did a lot of things in his life, like raising three daughters and laying communications lines during WWII.  I think , though, he was perhaps most proud of the cross that he and two other men erected on the hill overlooking the Devil’s Punch Bowl in Stoney Creek, Ontario.

I have a lot of documentation about the whole process of getting permission to erect the cross.  I have bills for lights and letters from the town.  I have pictures and newspaper articles.  What I don’t have, and wish dearly that I did, was something directly from my grandfather telling me how he felt about it all.  I suspect that if he tried to get the cross erected today it wouldn’t happen.  We live in a different world.  In 1966 it was still generally assumed that everyone was Christian, so religious displays were okay.

I’m not big on advertising one’s religion, so my feelings about the cross are mixed.  On one hand, I’m proud that he had the drive and faith required for such a momentus project.  On the other hand, I see it as a reminder of that earlier time when we were all expected to follow the common faith.  I suspect if my grandfather was alive today we would have a lot of difference.  My choice of religion would problably cause him some pain.  But I also think he would be proud of me for everything I’ve done, even if he disagrees with some of it, just like I’m proud of him.

As an aside, I just wanted to note that when I Googled “Stoney Creek Cross”, the hits all related to the Stoney Creek Collection, who publishes cross stitch charts.  Funny, but it seems my grandfather and I are sort of connected this way too.