Darkness

We have arrived at Good Friday, the darkest day of the Christian year.  The day when hope was quashed, light was put out, death triumphed, Jesus went to the Cross.  Though we know how this story will ultimately end, it is important for us to now focus on all that has gone wrong, all that can go wrong, in our lives and the lives of others, whether by accident, circumstance, bad choices, or, yes, the perpetuation of human evil.

Spend some time today imagining you are at the cross, helpless to aid Jesus in his final hours.  How do you feel? What would you do?  Be honest - there is no right answer, only a faithful one.

And on this day, we surely need faith.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 51:1-18: Sacrifice

During Lent people often talk about the things they've given up as a sacrifice.  That offering can seem like a burden.  Sometimes that's good, sometimes that's not.  It's good when we part with something that matters so that we can deepen our faith.  It's not when in doing so, we act as if we're doing God some kind of favor, one that deserves praise and acknowledgment.  The psalmist, along with the prophets and others in Scripture, not to mention Jesus, knew this reality.  They knew that it was all too easy for people to fake sacrifice, to look like they were doing something for God but in reality were doing something to boost their own reputation righteousness.  Here, in verses 17 and 18 and Psalm 51 we are told what God really seeks from us: not an animal on an altar, but real introspection and an honest accounting of our sins.  "Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice, but you take no delight in burnt-offerings.  The sacrifice o
Read more

Shortest Day

Today is the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.  You've probably heard by now about the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter, which should be quite a sight.  Of course, this being 2020, the sky will probably be overcast obscuring this celestial event. But rather than be pessimistic, I will indulge in some optimism, some hope, that we will be able to see what has been dubbed "The Christmas Star" - even though Christmas isn't until the 25th and Jesus was likely born in March.  Still, it's the thought that counts, right?  Advent is all about hopeful anticipation, and we're coming to its glorious conclusion. I choose to welcome Christ with an open heart.  What about you?  Will you join me?  Will you look heavenward, confident that, clouds or no clouds, Our Lord is coming to be with us?
Read more

Safe Harbor

Well, it's been a weird Advent, a now seemingly normal feature of this strange year.  Yet despite the upheavals, the inconveniences, the protocols, the dissension, we have arrived at a safe harbor.  Today is Christmas Eve and for the moment we will celebrate our Lord's birth.  Services might be different, gatherings altered, but still we celebrate that miraculous night in Bethlehem long ago.  This day let us focus on the peace, the joy, and the wonder of this day, of what happened 2,000 years ago and is happening this night.  Let us give thanks that Jesus is born and we are safe in God's loving arms.    
Read more