Today, as we recall Jesus’ journey to the cross, we remember that, for those first followers, this is the day when all sense of hope was lost. The one on whom they had placed their hope had failed them; fallen from public grace. He was nailed to a cross where he died an excruciating, humiliating, and seemingly senseless death.

This is such a profoundly human story; one that speaks of the harsh realities of human behaviour (cruelty, betrayal, cowardice, hatred… and underlying much of this behaviour that led Jesus to the cross, I believe, is fear and grief: fear of one who they simply couldn’t understand; fear of the unknown; fear of one who may represent a new world that they are unable to envision; and grief: grief over a world they have always known that seems to be slipping away.) On the cross, Jesus absorbs – takes into himself – the sin that led him to that terrifying place, the fear that is so much a part of the human condition, as well as the reality of pain, disappointment and death that we all know to be part of the human experience.

This year, as we journey toward the cross on which Jesus suffered and died, I pray that we may reflect on the frailty of the human condition, which we are being reminded of in the face of this strange and challenging time. Today, on this Good Friday, may we also reflect on the pain we carry with us to the cross; the pain of grief (what are we losing in the face of this current reality in which we live), worry (what realities will we be returning to when we eventually venture back out into the world); today is a day to reflect on the sense of fear and those moments of hopelessness that surface as we learn how to simply stay home.

Today, I pray, that we may discover a God who suffers the death of his own son… May we discover, hanging on the cross, God’s own son who now carries the burden of our pain; One who now knows the pain we all know, especially over these past few weeks. The purpose of this day is to reunite us with God through the crucified Christ.

Within the context of a global community, currently filled with the agony of despair, this is a story of deep and abiding hope; it speaks of a God who dwells with us in all our frailty, offering a renewed sense of hope which we will discover at the empty tomb. The great mystery of Jesus is that He is fully human and fully divine. So, with his death on the cross, heaven and earth become united in a brand new way. Throughout the whole history of creation and humanity’s partnership with God, God has worked toward this moment; when the God of all creation is reunited with humanity. We give thanks for the gift of a God who makes this sacrifice on our behalf.

Today, we have entered into this story, so that we may rediscover the Christ who has done this for us. And, in light of all this, I encourage you to return on Sunday, so that together we may rediscover the gift of new life and new hope that rises from the tomb in which he was placed. Today, as we adjust to the sense of human frailty that comes with a global pandemic, I believe that we are particularly open to the gift of this good news.