Good Friday, 6 April 2007

First reading John 18: 1-40

Reflection1

we convince ourselves

that we would not

act as Jesus' friends do in this story,

but lest we forget:

we are the ones

who slip quietly away

when asked to stand

beside the poor and oppressed;

lest we forget:

we are the deniers

of Jesus

when we turn our backs

on those whom

our world does not recognize.

lest we forget:

we are the greedy

who cling to possessions

we never use

when they could bless others;

lest we forget:

we are the comfortable

who can sleep

through the cries

of hungry children.

lest we forget:

let us remember

who we are

and who we can become.

Second reading John 19: 1-25

Reflection2

ridiculed by his enemies,

outcast of his kin,

deserted by his friends,

God-forsaken,

the Morning Star of Creation

hangs

covered with the grit

of the sins of the world.

nailed to the cross,

the Carpenter of Calvary

repairs our brokenness

that we might be

restored to God's kingdom.

Third reading John 19: 25b-42

Reflection3

feet that danced

through the streets

of Jerusalem

welcoming the Messiah

now softly pad

the back alleys

in search of shadows;

hearts that leapt

with joy at the sight

of David's true son

are left shattered

in Golgotha's

garbage;

hands that wrapped

a new born son

in bright bands of birth cloth

now shroud

his broken body

and lay him

gently

in death's manger.

where glad hosannas

rang out

there is now

only

the silent,

weeping

heart

of God.

Thom M. Shuman

Greenhills Community Church, Presbyterian Cincinnati, Ohio

Personal Reflection

I would rather not be here this morning.

I would rather be somewhere else, somewhere where I didn’t have to think about my God, my saviour, my friend taken and beaten and crucified and dead.

I would rather be somewhere else where bad things never happen to good people, where we only get what we deserve, where it’s not necessary to admit that life is not fair, never has been, never will be.

I would rather be somewhere else this morning. But God is here.

God is here because life is not fair.

God is here because bad things do happen to good people.

God is here because all those years ago God went to the cross, and God knows we would all rather be somewhere else.

In Gethsemane, Jesus said, “I would rather be somewhere else.”

But in the Temple courtyard, the priests said, “No, you must be here.”

In their failure to understand, the crowd said, “No, you must be here.”

In their absence, the disciples said, “No, you must be here.”

And in the agony of this world, Jesus said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

But God is here.

And we are too.