This is the Cross of Saint James - notice how the end is pointed as a sword. After the bones of Saint James were "found" here in Santiago in the 12 century, he became the patron saint of the city, and was known as "James the Moor Killer." At the time, southern Spain was being ruled by the Moors and northern Spain was eager to proclaim, and reclaim, its Christian identity. I was strongly effected by this image of the fusion of the Cross and the Sword. It reminded me so much of a sermon series my former pastor, Greg Boyd, preached a couple years ago. He was recently interviewed in a New York Times article about his ideas on faith and politics. If you read the article, read with care and I'd suggest checking out Greg's book and sermons themselves rather than taking what's being written about them, at face value.