proverb · Words worth keeping
Crosses are ladders that lead to heaven.
Crosses are ladders that lead to heaven.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying presents crosses as ladders leading to heaven. It gives burdens a hopeful direction within a religious interpretation of suffering.
What the words are saying
Lead to makes the hardships appear to offer a route rather than an endpoint. A responsible reading describes the devotional perspective without turning it into a universal requirement to suffer. Someone may draw strength from this image and still seek change, comfort or protection. The metaphor itself supplies no evidence about an individual’s spiritual standing.
Everyday example
A person uses the image for encouragement while friends help reduce the burdens that can be relieved.
When to use it
Use it to discuss hope expressed through a religious hardship metaphor.
What it does not mean
No particular suffering or spiritual outcome is independently verified by the metaphor.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 360 · Crosses
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English