Good Friday - St John 18:1-19:42
Today the Church travels at breakneck speed through the arrest in the Garden; interrogation by Annas, son-in-law of Caiphas; then interrogation by Pilate; the crowning with thorns after the crowd rejected Jesus and finally crucifixion. The last few verses of our reading being the burial in the tomb by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.
There is too much: it is too much, that the Son of God should die that humanity might know life. Where do we begin in trying to take on board the enormity of it all? This is the “blackest day” for the Christian community as we see even the temporary victory of evil over good. It is a day rightly for reflection - there is really nothing further to say: we can just mourn.
The world is in mourning at this present time as we see something evil destroy lives at random. It is a frightening, bewildering experience heightened by social isolation with many people on their own. How do we deal with it?
We keep faith, not because we are particularly spiritual or holy, but because we realise our only hope is in God: the same God who raised Jesus from the dead is the God who has given us the scientists who will find a way to tackle this disease; the medical and nursing staff who will care for us; the people who make this period in our lives tolerable. Today we see the awful frightening power of soething gone wrong in our world but we know it will not have the last word.
Today the Church travels at breakneck speed through the arrest in the Garden; interrogation by Annas, son-in-law of Caiphas; then interrogation by Pilate; the crowning with thorns after the crowd rejected Jesus and finally crucifixion. The last few verses of our reading being the burial in the tomb by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.
There is too much: it is too much, that the Son of God should die that humanity might know life. Where do we begin in trying to take on board the enormity of it all? This is the “blackest day” for the Christian community as we see even the temporary victory of evil over good. It is a day rightly for reflection - there is really nothing further to say: we can just mourn.
The world is in mourning at this present time as we see something evil destroy lives at random. It is a frightening, bewildering experience heightened by social isolation with many people on their own. How do we deal with it?
We keep faith, not because we are particularly spiritual or holy, but because we realise our only hope is in God: the same God who raised Jesus from the dead is the God who has given us the scientists who will find a way to tackle this disease; the medical and nursing staff who will care for us; the people who make this period in our lives tolerable. Today we see the awful frightening power of soething gone wrong in our world but we know it will not have the last word.