In Peggy Noonan’s book When Character Was King, she tells about a meeting between
President George W. Bush and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. It was their first meeting as
world leaders and Bush wanted to be sure they connected-- that they looked for depth of soul and
character, not simply had a political meeting.
Bush brought up a story he had read about the Russian president. Putin’s mother had given
him a Christian cross that he had had blessed while in Jerusalem. Bush had been touched by the
story.
Putin told a story in response. He had taken to wearing the cross, and one day had set it down
in a house he had been visiting. Strangely, the house had burned down, and all Putin could think
about was that his cross was lost in the rubble.
He motioned for a worker to come to him, so he could ask him to look for the cross. The
worker walked over to Putin, stretched out his hand, and showed him the already recovered cross.
Putin told Bush, “It was as if something meant for me to have the cross,” inferring that he believed
in a higher power. Bush replied, “Mr. Putin, President Putin, that’s what it’s all about—that’s the
story of the cross.”
--The story of the cross is that God intended it just for you.