It’s Good Friday. To this day I feel it’s an oxymoron to call the day Jesus was executed as being good. I get the theological concept that his death was “good” in that through it we’re forgiven and reconciled to God (that is, if you buy the notion that God demanded a sacrificial death for us to be forgiven - I don't - but that's a whole other blog post). But even still, the thought of what Jesus went through on that Friday two thousand years ago was not good – it was tragic.
I’m sitting in Columbine’s sanctuary for our Good Friday remembrance. We have a station of the cross experience where people can come and reflect at each of the different stations. We have candles, soft music, a shrouded cross. It’s a mellow, moving experience.
There’s only one problem. No one has been here, save one person, Russ. Before Russ entered the sanctuary we chatted and he said, “When I was a kid, we went from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. We went from a palm parade to Jesus out of the tomb. We skipped everything in between. Now, I want to be more mindful of what happened between the two Sunday’s. That’s why I’m here today on Good Friday.”
Actually, it is a good Friday. I don’t mind that no one is here. It's nice to have a quiet sanctuary to myself. I’m very at home in a church sanctuary, empty or filled, it’s my home. I’ve seen people weep, laugh, sing, and pray in this sanctuary. We’ve baptized, married, and buried people in this room. Last week we had a palm parade with the kids. On Monday we buried my friend Dwight. This next Sunday we’ll flower the cross. The room holds the high's and the lows. Today however, I sit with the 12 stations of the cross.
On this Good Friday I hope that you’re mindful of what happened between these two Sundays. Even if you’re not a Christian, I still invite you to think about the last supper, the prayer in Gethsemane, the betrayal, the trial, the torture, and the execution. I invite you to be mindful for I think this week gets at the heart of why I’m a Christian.
Holy week encompasses the grief and pain that fills every life. To just celebrate the joy misses that a lot of life is filled with pain. Notice that the joy, Palm Sunday and Easter encompasses only two days. Yet, Holy week is five days. I think that’s significant. Of course, there’s joy in life, but there are also many days of grief and pain. What I believe is that God is with us through it all, the joy, and the pain. That’s what’s so significant about Holy Week, it’s life. What Jesus went through is what we go through. We have pain in our lives, but there is also great joy. In fact, our lives are bracketed by joy. We start with joy, and we end with Joy. The pain is not the end of Holy Week, joy is.
So, I sit with my computer, the gentle music, and the candles. I’ll sit by myself and feel the fullness of life. For some reason sitting here I’m thinking this is good. It’s a good space to be in. It’s a good Friday. I’m here knowing I really don’t sit alone. God is here in this place. What happened two thousand years ago wasn’t good. But today, is good. I affirm God’s grace in my life as a good thing. Today, Friday, I give thanks for that goodness.
Thanks man, it was indeed a Good Friday.
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