I’ve worn a cross since I was in high school.
Not around my neck.
Pinned inside my bra.
That probably sounds odd, but if you knew my grandmother, it would make perfect sense.
My grandmother always wore a small religious medal and a crucifix that way — tucked out of sight, pinned close to her heart. I remember noticing it once when I was young and asking her why she kept it hidden. Why not wear it where people could see it?
Her answer was simple.
“It’s for me.”
That was enough.
By the time I was in high school, I had started doing the same thing. I still do.
That small cross is pinned inside my bra almost every day.
When Symbols Change
Lately, there has been a lot of buzz about the cross, particularly the cross worn around the necks of women in politics and public life.
You’ve probably noticed it too.
For some people, it feels meaningful and sincere. For others it feels… performative. Almost like a signal or a slogan. Especially right now, when there is a louder national push to frame Christianity as part of a political identity.
And that creates a certain tension.
Because symbols matter. And when a symbol becomes closely aligned with a movement, an ideology, or a political group, it can start to carry meanings far beyond the original intention.
That may not be fair.
But it happens.
And when it does, people who once felt comfortable with a symbol sometimes start pulling back from it — not because their beliefs changed, but because the meaning surrounding the symbol has.
If I’m honest, I’ve caught myself wondering about this lately. Has the visible image of the cross come to carry several different meanings? I know that wearing a religious symbol like the cross can be a proud expression of faith, a way of honoring what we believe, or a personal reminder of what the symbol represents. But lately it has started to feel like the cross is also being used as a signal of belonging to a particular group — one that doesn’t necessarily reflect what I believe. And that creates a bit of a conflict for me.
Now that may be my own reaction. My own judgment. And I am wrestling with it.
But it did make me think about something else.
When Symbols Get Claimed
We’ve always used symbols to signal something about who we are and what we believe. Flags, crosses, stars, clothing, colors — symbols carry meaning quickly and powerfully.
But symbols also evolve.
They get claimed. Reinterpreted. Sometimes wrapped tightly around particular groups or movements.
When that happens, the symbol can start to feel like it belongs to one group more than another.
And then people who once felt connected to that symbol suddenly find themselves hesitating.
Do I still wear it?
Will people assume something about me if I do?
Does it signal beliefs I don’t actually hold?
In psychology, we sometimes see this as a kind of identity conflict around symbols — when something that once felt personal suddenly feels like it belongs to a particular group.
There’s also something else happening psychologically. When a symbol becomes strongly associated with a group, our brains start to process it through the lens of group identity rather than personal meaning. Social psychologists have studied this for decades. Once a symbol becomes tied to “us” versus “them,” people begin making assumptions about the person wearing it — what they believe, how they vote, their character, their affiliations and what group they belong to.
That’s a lot of weight for a symbol that, for many people, began as something deeply personal.
What Do We Do With That?
This is the question I’ve been sitting with.
What do we do when a symbol of faith becomes wrapped up in politics?
Do we stop wearing it?
Do we reclaim it?
Do we quietly hold onto it in our own way?
For me, the answer has been simple.
I’m keeping it where it has always been.
Pinned close to my heart.
Not as a statement. Not as a signal. Just a small reminder of the values I try — imperfectly — to live by.
Kindness. Humility. Compassion.
The things my grandmother practiced every day without needing to announce them.
Because for her it was never about who could see it.
It was about what it asked of her.
Symbols can get pretty loud in the world around us these days. Everyone seems to be claiming, waving, and assigning meaning to them.
My grandmother never needed any of that.
Her faith was quieter.
And the older I get, the more I understand why she wore the cross the way she did.
I’m curious to know your thoughts.
