A Good Friday reflection from the Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of CT, the Rev. Dr. Harry L. Riggs, II:
"Christianity is a counterintuitive way to live when practiced. Take, for instance, God being the one who initiates the saving relationship with humanity by reaching out to us and not our needing to climb up to God: i.e., While we were sinners, God sent his son…(Romans 5:8); We are saved by grace, not by works… (Ephesians 2:8-9); or how the believer is admonished to love and pray for their enemy (Matthew. 5:44). To the casual bystander, Christianity can look upside-down, and the Bible is filled with these kinds of twists that are counterintuitive. However, the one counterintuitive example that is evident today, the day Christians intentionally observe the crucifixion of Jesus our Lord, is that we call this observance "Good Friday."
A day that, by all practical observations, should be called something other than Good. Nevertheless, to the followers of Christ, we see by Jesus' example that the earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. We are given a template of what faith in God looks like. What forgiveness of trespasses means. What love incarnate can accomplish if tried. Christianity seems upside-down, but to a life transformed by the renewing work of Jesus, the believer's perspective is turned from upside-down to right-side up. Thus, all other ways of looking at the world become foolish to those who follow in the way of Jesus.
May your Friday be a Good Friday because of Jesus."
*The photo is from our sanctuary last night at the end of the Tennebrae portion of the service after all the candles and lights had been extinguished.