Good Friday

There is no question that this is a somber day, a poignant day, a serious day. But, it is not a tragic day.

I say that because, for some people, Jesus’ death on the cross appears to be a terrible tragedy. I suspect they view it as some kind of defeat. It is anything but that.

It might be good to remember that one of the ancient names for this day was The Victory of the Cross. This is the day that everything began to unravel for the powers opposed to the ever-living God. This was always part of the plan, though this kind of sacrifice may be beyond our comprehension.

As I write this post, it is that magical time before sundown when the veil between heaven and earth seems to be at its thinnest. Normally, I would be in worship, but that is not possible this year. As I write I am listening to a recording of Olivier Messiaen’s great organ work Meditations on the Mystery of the Holy Trinity. Without trying to explain God (musically), Messiaen is content to capture some sense of the divine mystery. And maybe that is enough, to live with and in the mystery that is our God.

It is appropriate on Good Friday to remember our sins, and to remember that Jesus died in order to reconcile sinful humans with God. The cost of this reconciliation was extraordinarily high, but God was willing to pay that price because of God’s tremendous love for us. Today reminds us that love trumps everything. Even death.

 

On Golgotha

A poem for Good Friday

With Truth pinned against the sky,
screaming sunlight struggles and fails.
airless

Suspended time compresses,
reels backwards, stops.
breathless

Day becomes a
shadow.
still