Good Friday

Now we are getting close to Good Friday, the day that began a journey that goes on even today. It is a journey about love and its response to unjust suffering; it is about the ways in which we lash out at those we don't agree with or who in some way threaten us. But it is also about the possibility of healing and existence of life-giving hope. 

One of the apparent scandals of Christianity is the existence of unjust suffering. If there is this loving God, why does not 'he' save us from that? I don't know that any of us has a very clear answer to that and I suspect, in the end we do our best to ponder and to understand but finally, must trust in the message of love that we see in our tradition.

I marvel in the example of the Nelson Mandela's of our world who, in spite of all the evil actions that have been inflicted upon them, manage somehow, through faith and courage to rise not unscathed but yet stronger, more loving, more compassionate. There are too, the unending stream of women in our world who are brutalized, raped , denied humanity and yet rise above all that to be people of life, people who will not be crushed by all that we at our worst can do to one another. I know too, many men and women who born with scars of handicap, written off as not being worthy and full human beings, are yet in spite of ridicule, deprivation of rights, or persecution , people alive with dignity and joy.

We do not ever, ever, ever wish suffering. We do not ever, I hope, think it right to inflict suffering. But the sadness is, it exists and I think we can, like Jesus, like the Mandela's of our world, like the brutalized and disenfranchised women of our world, like the mentally and physically disabled of our world, take what is bad and with God's Spirit in our hearts, make it something new, something compassionate, something whole. And then, our world is a better place in which to live.


I think that is what Jesus' crucifixion led to. If God is like Jesus, then we found out that God is not distant and uninvolved. God is  here with us hanging on that cross of terror, giving us the wherewith, not just to endure, but in the end,  to overcome all that is hurtful and dark in a world meant to be loving and care-full and joyful.