If we have died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him.

Good Friday service, Book of Common Prayer

Today, we observe the darkest day in the Church. It is a time to mourn Christ’s crucifixion and realize the cost of our betrayal. We are called to remember and accept our role, as humans, in His death. On Good Friday, we are exposed to our sin.  It is out there, obvious, ugly, and vulnerable. Good Friday is rock bottom, and in our own lives, we have plenty of rock bottom moments. Sometimes, they can last weeks or months. It is in these times that we learn a lot about ourselves, our priorities, and how to respond. Often, these responses define us. Will we react in love or anger; empowerment or indifference?
As part of Christ’s body, we are called to be more than a Good Friday people. Luis often says that, and I agree.  We are called to rise from rock bottom, to rise from our humanness – and it is through the acceptance of our sins, and Christ’s death for that sin, that we arrive to Easter Sunday. Truly, Good Friday and Easter Sunday are divinely connected. We cannot have one without the other: we experience Good Friday in the hope of living more fully as Easter Sunday people.  Just as the darkest moment is before the dawn, Christ must die to be raised.

-Sara McGanity