Cross

Yes, the cross emoji ✝️ already exists, and so does its Orthodox cousin ☦️. But two crosses for more than two billion Christians feels a little thin when you consider how rich the symbol is: the ringed Celtic crosses of Irish churchyards, the carved calvaries of Brittany, the Jerusalem cross of pilgrims, the tau of Saint Francis, the Huguenot cross, the old wayside cross at the village crossroads…

The cross is a paradox: an instrument of execution that became the sign of hope. People wear it around their necks, trace it on themselves before a match or an exam, set it on top of steeples. It speaks of suffering and of what lies beyond it. The first Christians, in fact, took their time before depicting it openly; they often preferred the more discreet fish or anchor.

What we are looking for here are crosses that stay readable at a tiny size and stay true to what they stand for. A plain cross for a message of condolence, a radiant cross for Easter, a processional cross for Palm Sunday: if you already have one in mind, draw it.