Reflect
Christ knew what it was like to suffer. Christ knew the gaping pain of yearning for an embrace when those around you cause you pain. Christ knew the taste of death and the fear of taking a last breath. The God of the universe—who created the stars in the sky, the creatures of the deep, and the birds in the air—knows the fear of death. But that same Christ knows the promise of resurrection, for death is not the end.
Pray
To Christ, who felt abandoned,
To Christ, who bled,
To Christ, who wept,
To Christ, who yearned for his mother’s embrace:
I come to the foot of the cross,
dealing with abandonment, with my own laments,
yearning for an embrace from you, who knows death.
In the darkness of this moment—on the hill and under the cross—
may I know of your last breaths as promises of a new day.
To the Christ who died, carry me into the resurrection day with you.
Amen.
Act
This Good Friday, find a place where you can participate in an act of service. Whether it is a local soup kitchen, nursing home, or charity of your choice, dedicate a few hours before (or after) the Good Friday church service to helping out. Think of it delivering part of the promise of the Resurrection story for all people.
