Do you know these famous hymn lines?

The cross before me
the world behind me
no turning back, no turning back

For some reason, I understood but did not really understand it. Until this morning.

It is an old English expression which I now understand it as moving toward the cross and leaving the world. The key is in the purposeful movement toward the cross. Not just turning around to face the cross and staying put.

The cross and the world are far opposite each other on a straight line. If I want to get closer to the cross then I must move further away from the world. I cannot stay in place and get closer to the cross. If I hold on to the world, I will never get closer to the cross.

"No turning back, no turning back."