April 13, 2022
View from Sacre Couer Church Paris, France June 2017 Photo by Heather Quinn
“Throughout history it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph." Emperor Haile Selassie
If you are Christian, you celebrate Good Friday. The day that Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross. It is a solemn day of mourning. The story portrays his mother, Mary and her mother Anne bearing witness to that terrible event. When I was a teen, someone suggested keeping a quiet vigil from the hours of 12 Noon-3PM on Good Friday, the supposed hours of Jesus suffering and dying on the cross. This quiet vigil can be an empowering act of reflection.
Even if you are not Christian there are poignant aspects to this story.
Consider the story of anyone who has stood for truth, goodness or justice under any circumstances! Consider all people throughout history who have in any moment put themselves forth for a good cause. Even a few simple words by any of us, at times can breathe new life or comfort or good sense into life's moments.
Then consider the killing of truth, goodness or justice. Consider a world without people who care for truth and justice. Consider a world where only getting ahead matters. A world where appearance, lies, money and pretension are all that is left. The extinguishing of eternal life.
Everyday we each fight for a world of heart and beauty with many simple acts!! Everyday we honor the spirit of Jesus; Christians and non Christians. We can find meaning in the traditions of other faiths without diminishing our own ways and truths. To the non believer, consider that these stories endure because of the essential truths that they convey.
When I think of Good Friday, I think of its symbolic importance. I honor it as a symbol of the death of good things. I honor it as a symbol of how dark the world could become without the simple light, love and courage that people add to it every day. Even our small daily efforts make a huge difference in the whole of things.
Take a moment to reflect and appreciate all the beauty, light and good in your world today by imagining its disappearance. When you take time to reflect how dark the world could become, it makes the tribute to the rebirth of hope, light and truth on Easter Sunday all the more joyous. To those who celebrate and even those who don't, it makes the story of Easter all the more meaningful to our lives.
