On Good Friday we meditate on the cross. The gospel accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion are unvarnished. It is painful to read about the harm inflicted on Jesus or the suffering he underwent. It is also painful to imagine what it was like for his mother, Mary, or his friends and followers who were powerless to protect him.
Amazingly, while Jesus was being killed in such a brutal and humiliating way, he said, “Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.” On the cross, the worst of the world is met and overcome with the best of God.
This can be thought of as a moment of rock bottom for the world, a moment when the worst has come and a new direction is about to take hold. Something better is about to come.
But not yet.
Today, it is still Good Friday. Jesus’ pain is real today. Knowing this, we can be certain that our God is not a stranger to loss, betrayal, heartbreak, and suffering.
Only by lingering here now will we be able to fully grasp the power of what is about to unfold in three days, when Easter finally arrives.
The Rev. Robert W. Fisher, Rector
Links to the appointed readings and prayer for today:
