Marks Of The Cross

Petra's “Marks Of The Cross” starts from a complaint: “shallow and feeble resolve abound / And true devotion and passionate fervor are seldom found.” Against that backdrop it describes believers who sometimes “feel they're all alone,” recognizable only “by the mark of the crucified Son.” The bracketed note ties the song to Matthew 10:39 and Luke 9:62.

The chorus lists what those marks look like in daily life: “Praying, caring, loving, sharing,” then “giving, bearing, feeling, daring / To lay down your life on the line.” It adds the price, “forgetting what you leave behind / And willing to suffer the loss.” The second verse names another failure, retreating into “fortresses no one would dare intrude,” and reminds listeners that “there's no crown 'til we suffer the cross.”

Matthew 10:39 (“whoever loses their life for my sake will find it”) and Luke 9:62 (no one who looks back is fit for the kingdom) shape the demand. The closing lines turn to Ephesians 2:10, “We are His workmanship, made in His image,” as the basis for showing his pain and glory to creation.