“What’s so good about Good Friday? Isn’t it a day of death and sorrow?” I paused, as I overheard a colleague asking these questions.
“What’s so good about Good Friday?” I continue to sit with this question, as I rest and reflect. First, it’s a paid holiday for me and my co-workers which is a welcome break in these tiring pandemic times. Second, it’s a sunny day in Chicago, and I’m sitting outside at a coffee house sipping cappuccino and journaling. Third, I just dropped my bicycle off for a tune-up which includes new glow-in-the-dark handgrips. “What isn’t so good about Good Friday?”
I’m also aware that this is a somber day for many Christians, and I respect this sense of devotion. Several years ago, my understanding of Good Friday shifted. While attending a Holy Week retreat, the speaker reframed it as a day to celebrate the life and ministry of Jesus. The one who embraced those who were marginalized by society. The one who healed those who were labeled “sinners” by those in power. The one who stood in solidarity with the prostitutes, the tax collectors, and the other outcasts.
What might this mean in today’s world? Good Friday may be a day to celebrate the life and work of Jesus. It may also be a day to reflect on our own lives and our own work. How might I embrace the LGBTQ community? How might I assist in the healing of those who are undocumented? How might I stand in solidarity with those in the “Black Lives Matter” movement?”
As I rest and reflect on Good Friday, I wonder what work awaits me on Monday. How about you?
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