Good (?) Friday

As a child I often wondered why it was called “good”... I mean, this is the day we remember that they killed Jesus.  Why is that good?  Yes, I understand about the resurrection, but why did he have to die?  What’s good in an innocent man dying? More specifically: What kind of parent would send his child to a place to suffer and die through no fault of their own? That’s what I was taught as a child – that God knew Jesus would die and sent him anyway. What kind of a “god” would do that? Not one I wanted to worship – which is in part related to my leaving the church for my young adult years (a story for another time)...

I don’t believe that Jesus “had” to die for my sins – that God sent his son to die for me/us.  Yes, it ended up that way. Yes, eventually there was no other choice.  But it was our choices, our reactions, our responses that determined that. Now I know none of us were alive then, but I really don’t believe it would be any different today.  2,000 years, and humanity really hasn’t changed much. Jesus comes speaking of love and interdependence, of our need for commitment and responsibility toward one another, of God as love not judgment, and grace not wrath.  And Jesus asks us to live this way – to treat each other this same way... to be willing to change not only how we are with one another, but to change how our society functions. Can you hear the response?  “No, that’s not possible – things aren't great, but they're okay as they are, thank you.  Besides, if I really wanted things to change, there’s nothing I can do about it – one person can’t make a difference.  I’ll just try being a little nicer to people, that’s all he’s asking for.”  

That’s all he’s asking for? No. He’s asking us to understand that this world is not right-side up; it’s standing on its head. This upside-down world we live in isn’t reality as if maybe someday God’s reality will come into being. God’s reality exists now – we just have a hard time seeing it. It’s not about me; it’s about God. It’s not about me; it’s about us. Everything we do either draws us closer to God and to one another, or it keeps us apart, distinct, separate. Jesus says, “I came to show you God’s love; to teach you how to live that love with one another.” And even in his dying, he did that. What is there to fear in death, for we know, through Jesus Christ, God meets us even there.

... perhaps it is a good Friday.