Lent 2022, Good Friday

I’m finding it so interesting to learn how different traditions refer to this day, and also why, in my own tradition, this dark day is referred to as “good.” “Good,” in this case of course means “pious” or “holy,” not the more common, lighter meaning of the word. In other traditions, this day is called “Friday of Preparation,” “Mourning Friday,” “Silent Friday,” and “Long Friday.” “Long Friday” certainly resonates with me ... it seems we’ve been waiting for so much, for so long. It makes me think of the famous sermon of African-American pastor and Civil Rights activist, Shadrach Meschach Lockridge, in which he repeats over and over, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming!” A link is below. It’s a comforting and moving reminder that there will be resolution of all of this tension and fear. Sunday is coming.

I'm going to give Libby a much-needed day off today and bring Feynman into the conversation.  This is a photo that the volunteers at the shelter in Beijing sent me while we were waiting for Feynman to come to us.  It's one of my favorite photos ever, to the point that I have it displayed in a couple of places in our home.  I call it "Rescued but not yet Home."  That's all of us, in the now-but-not-yet state of this broken world.  Today is Friday, but we know that Sunday is coming.

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