"Inspired by god's glory, moved by His Spirit."
Today is Good Friday. It is the day on which we remember that Jesus Christ was crucified on a cross, died and was buried. Even though it is called "Good" Friday, it remains a somber day of reflection for Christians throughout the world. Our churches are stripped bare to reflect the mood and in Jerusalem thousands of pilgrims and holy people will be following great crosses carried by volunteers as they retrace the footsteps of Jesus along the Via Dolorosa.
It is common and traditional on Good Friday for us to focus our thoughts and prayers on the meaning of the cross, for it has become for Christianity the great symbol of our religion and even more important, of Jesus Christ.
This Good Friday I will share with you two thoughts or meditations which have come up for me as I try to understand the meaning of the cross with my Easter eyes.
There are two basic forms of crosses which we use personally and display in our churches: one a crucifix; the other appropriately called a cross. The crucifix shows the body, or corpus, of Jesus still on the cross. When I see a crucifix I am visibly reminded of the agony and death of Jesus and of his sacrifice for the whole world.
As I understand it, the cross was the primary instrument of death by execution in Roman times. Many thousands of people died on the cross as Jesus did and yet we remember his cross and his death. Why? Well, clearly, we know with Easter eyes that Jesus was the Son of God and that his crucifixion was not just different but unique above all else and, thus, it is helpful to remember that the cross and death of Jesus, as represented by the crucifix, takes in and represents the "cross" and death of all, including every one of those unfortunate people hung during his day (so well represented by the two thieves on either side of him). It represents the cross and death of each one of us as well.
The second form of the cross is just that--it is a cross and empty of the corpus or body of Christ. This is the Easter cross because it is clear to all that Jesus is no longer hanging upon it or dead. The Easter cross is not symbolic of death, but of Life--the resurrected life of Jesus as The Christ, The Savior, The Redeemer, The One Who is Risen.
Whether we see it hanging in churches, as ours above the altar, or wearing them around our necks on chains (as I am) the meaning is clear: He who hung there is now risen and lives on in the Spirit. And this Easter cross is to remind us daily of that spirit which blows through our lives.
Above all, that Easter cross has a distinct purpose. That is to remind us that the words and ministry and life of Jesus must go on as he lives on within us. A classic parable of this is written in a book, Called to Conversion (New York: Harper & Row, 1981). in which Jim Wallace depicts a contemporary parallel of Jesus' faith and spirit which lives:
A young Christian singer was imprisoned with thousands of others in the National Stadium in Santiago, Chile. As he stood among the frightened and demoralized prisoners, he began a solitary song of praise to his Lord.
A guitar was passed to him and the Spirit began to blow. Soon thousands were singing with him. The authorities were threatened by the power of God's Spirit moving so freely and openly, so they seized the young man and took him away. When he returned, not only had his guitar been smashed, but he had no fingers. Horrified, his fellow prisoners drew back, but he walked into the empty space between them, lifted his bloody hands and began to sing again, with glory.
Once more the Spirit began to move, the people took up the song, and predictably the guards moved in again. This time when he came back, he had no tongue. Many wept as they realized what had been done to him. Everyone was watching and for awhile he stood motionless. Some thought he was fainting. But then they realized that his graceful, silent swing was a dance. And soon they were all swaying silently, inspired by God's glory, moved by His Spirit. This time, when the guards came, they thought they would end it all, and so they shot him dead.
But, as you might expect, it was too late. These frightened people had received the Spirit of Jesus and now they were able to make it through their terrible ordeal.
Most of us are not called to invoke the Spirit as this brave young Christian did, but we are all called to recognize it in our lives and participate in the ongoing Life of Jesus in our world. As a Christian, I find it helpful to wear or carry an Easter cross with me to remind me daily of the many and wonderful ways that the Spirit of Jesus lives in my life.
"Lo, I am with you always," said Jesus. And so this Good Friday we give thanks for his presence, and to God for the Life and Spirit of Jesus made alive in the symbol of the Easter cross. Amen.
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