A local reverend is sharing a message of salvation with individuals who pass his house. He built and installed an eight-foot cross on the corner of his property facing the roadway.
“I was inspired by the Lord to do this,” said Ken Kirby, who lives on Hoover Drive. “I waited for a little while to make sure this is what He wanted me to do. The feeling never went away. It took about a month to put it together. I started in the middle of May. I had a dedication ceremony Saturday. With about 18 people from my church in attendance, we dedicated the cross to the Lord.”
The cross is made of half-inch PVC pipe surrounded by wood. The words “Love,” “Mercy,” “Grace” and “Salvation” surround the Biblical reference to Luke 23:34. The passage pertains to the painful crucifixion of Jesus Christ on the cross and Jesus’ statement of “’Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’.”
“It’s through the Love of Jesus Christ that we are shown mercy and through his grace that we receive salvation,” said Kirby.
Along with many other references to scriptures, from both the Old and New Testaments, the cross has a crown of thorns that was made by Luther Merriman, three nails and red paint to signify the blood of Christ.
“I needed something to place under the gravel as a base to prevent weeds from popping up,” said Kirby. “The Standard was gracious enough to give me five or six of its printing plates.”
The cross has received positive comments from Kirby’s neighbors.
“My hope is that people who don’t know Him will come to know Him,” said Kirby. “I did have some concern about how my neighbors would react, but I received nothing but positive reactions. No negative, whatsoever. I wanted to share it with everyone and hopefully, inspire others to know Him.
Kirby is the pastor of Victory Free Will Baptist Church.