GOOD FRIDAY REFLECTIONS

I sat through the Good Friday service at church tonight, while I was a participant in the service, and while I’ve sat through virtually the same service for a decade, I decided to see if there was anything new I could glean from the evening. It’s the same liturgy each year, practically the same readings, perhaps told a little differently, depending on the gospel from which it comes.

So I listened as the Gospel was read and wondered what it would have been like to truly have been there. I mean did this stuff really happen or is it just a bunch of hooey? I suppose that is why it is the Easter Mystery. Think of it…God sends down his “son” to be the Savior of the World? Um, yeah…that’s easy to comprehend. Sign me up. Then there are all the parallels the Gospel writer goes to in attempt to bridge the gap between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The most striking thing to me is that we—meaning those of us in the Western word, fancy our beautiful white bread Jesus on the crucifix. But, if we want to really take literally the words of the Bible, Jesus was not attractive. He was a man acquainted with infirmities. The type of person one turns their heads from? That doesn’t sound like the handsome white Jesus on the crucifix about the altar at my church.

The truth of the matter is that yes, while I do believe that Jesus Christ came to earth, and his teachings a valid, that there is so much more to it than meets the eye. There is no possible way that we can comprehend absolute mystery of our faith. My Catholic faith is certainly steeped in tradition and ritual. That doesn’t mean I believe that everything happened “just so.” I think there are an awful lot of grey areas we’ll never understand in the Earthly realm.

The one thing that I do love about Good Friday is the General Intercessions touch on praying for everyone from the Pope. There are prayers for the local Bishop, the priests, those who are Jewish, those who don’t believe in God, local and national political leaders, etc. I like the inclusiveness there. How many Baptist churches met tonight to pray for the Catholic Church down the street?

Here’s my confession: I honestly expected just another ho-hum, run of the mill Good Friday service. Yet, I walked away with lots of thoughts. I walked away questioning more fully, and perhaps even respecting my faith. Was there anything new? Nothing noteworthy. But, even with nothing noteworthy, it was an insightful service. God became man. God died. God lives again. Pretty amazing stuff. Some of it does make me want to tear my faith apart and make some sense of it. But, what’s the use. God is Love. And I don’t personally believe that God is a Christian God, a Catholic God, or what have you. What God IS---IS love. And love, well, isn’t that the central message of the Gospel? Isn’t love the whole meaning of Good Friday?